A story about how we design and why it takes the time it does. (Yes, we have a new shoe for you.)
Designing a Crown Northampton sneaker doesn’t start with a moodboard. It starts with materials, conversations, and heritage.
It starts with Northampton and everything that comes with making shoes here.
Our next silhouette has been quietly in development for a long time. Not because of indecision, but because of how we work. Every element has to make sense; from the leather to the last, from the stitch to the structure. That process can’t be rushed.
The first thing we ask is always the same: where does it belong? Is it part of the Classic Collection? The Stitchdown? Hand Stitch or Jazz? Or, as with this design, does it mark the beginning of a new collection for Crown?
Whichever it is, the main ingredients are the same.
Northampton
Made in Northampton. Made because of Northampton.
Northampton has history. For hundreds of years, shoemaking shaped the town - its streets, its economy, and the families who lived here. At one point, more than 90% of people were in, or affiliated with, the trade. That’s millions of hours of skill, passed between generations.
This is what making in our town means to Crown. The knowledge here is hard-earned and easily lost, which makes it all the more important to keep it alive. As more factories have closed, we’ve seen what disappears with them. So we’ve made it part of our job to make sure it doesn’t.
We’re here to honour the craft that built Northampton and to carry it somewhere new.
Shape
The last comes next.
The design of the last is always critical as it shapes everything that follows. One of the biggest advantages of being based in Northampton is having Springline, the only remaining lastmakers in the UK, just ten minutes from our factory.
More than that, we’ve built a relationship with them over many years, one that allows for real collaboration. Whether we’re developing a new silhouette or refining the fit of an existing style, their insight and flexibility are integral to the process.
Without them, we couldn’t do what we do.
Read more about our visit to Springline Lastmakers
Minimalism
Minimal by nature, not trend.
Every Crown design passes through the hands of our owner and pattern cutter, Chris.
His approach to design is shaped by decades of experience - not in a studio or office, but on the factory floor. He started there over thirty years ago, and that matters. His thinking starts with the practical; what’s actually possible, and how to do it well. His mindset is problem-solving, and distinctly British. Not about styling for styling’s sake but about showcasing what’s already there. As he puts it:
“How can I show off these amazing heritage skills without taking anything away from the rare and beautiful leathers? Every stitch for a reason.”
That approach leads to minimalism, but not because minimalism is fashionable. It happens because nothing’s added unless it earns its place. When the leather is rare, we let it show. When the construction is complex, we let it feel effortless. We’re not here to chase trends. We’re here to make things that last beyond them.
And behind the product is a bigger aim - something Chris has believed in since the beginning: changing how factory work is understood and valued.
It’s about people as much as product. By multiskilling third and fourth-generation shoemakers, we’ve created a team that can move across processes, contribute ideas, and influence design. That kind of adaptability makes the work better, and it makes the work more rewarding.
You can see that philosophy in action in designs like the Everdon Wholecut Mid Boot — where traditional techniques meet a modern silhouette shaped by the hands that made it.
Read - the Everdon Wholecut Mid Boot
Independence
Direct to consumer = direct to purpose.
The way we sell shapes what we make. Not having wholesale influences our design choices in subtle but important ways.
Without having to account for distributor markups, retail pricing, or seasonal production cycles, the conversation changes — from “how do we make this at cost?” to “how do we make this as good as it can be?”
That shift opens up possibility. We can choose rarer materials. We can take longer to get the fit right. We can involve more of the team in the process.
It’s what allowed us to make styles like the unlined Abbey Sneaker - a design that definitely wouldn’t exist in a traditional retail model.
Read: Introducing the Abbey Unlined Sneaker
Community
Designed with (and for) the people who wear them.
Open minds often lead to the next design. Sometimes it’s a material we stumble across, like the Deerborn leather we found at Horween Tannery. Sometimes it’s a style we’ve been wanting to introduce — a derby, oxford, or wholecut that’s waiting to join our existing collections. And sometimes, it starts with a conversation - with a team member, a long-standing customer, or someone in the wider industry who sees things the way we do.
We’re always working on something, quietly testing, refining, and adjusting behind the scenes. But we only release when the timing feels right. That part matters as much as the making.
What’s coming in June 2025 is the result of years of those inspirations and conversations - informed by the way we listen, the way we work, and the way we think about design.
This way of designing and running our company has led to something new. And without the understanding and support of the people who wear what we make, none of it would be possible.
P.S.
What’s coming connects where we came from with how we work today - a design influenced by past generations, made in the present, and only possible because of the way we make things.
We’ll be sharing more soon. But as ever, time and production capacity will matter, so keep an eye out if you’re thinking ahead.
