We are always looking for new ways to honour this town's 800 years of shoemaking craft. Last year we introduced our first hand welted sneaker. This year we are launching something we believe is a first for Northampton entirely. The first unlined leather sneaker collection ever made here.
At a glance:
- The first unlined leather sneaker collection ever made in Northampton.
- Built using a leather splitting technique learned from RAF bootmaker Haynes and Cann, perfected over 25 years.
- Made from Horween Dearborn, a natural vegetable tanned full grain leather originally developed for baseball gloves.
- Unisex, available in narrow or wide fittings, made to order in Northampton.
- Four styles: Abbey Oxford, Harlestone Derby, Thornton Wholecut, and Ashby Loafer.
- Slipper soft from the box, with hidden structure that moulds to your foot over time.
- Resolable, breathable, and suitable for sockless wear.
It may look a long way from the welted shoes our family was crafting in 1908, but these luxury sneakers made in Northampton, England carry every technique and every lesson this town has taught us. The skills, the knowledge, the understanding of how leather truly behaves. We have taken what Northampton taught us and pushed it somewhere new.
Sneakers our ancestors would be proud of, even if they never could have imagined them.
The collection consists of four classic Northampton shoe styles. The Abbey Oxford, the Harlestone Derby, the Thornton Wholecut, and the Ashby Loafer. Over the coming weeks we will go into each style in detail, the fit, the construction, and what makes each one worth considering. For now, we wanted to explain why we made them and what they actually are.
In May 2024 we introduced the Abbey Unlined, our first step into this territory. It quickly became one of the most popular purchases for people who visit the factory, and for good reason. It is not until you put it on your foot that you understand what it is. The softness is immediate. We had worked with so many world renowned leathers over the years, each with their own properties, but this material added something we had not offered before. We spent time designing and testing until we had something worth building a full lightweight unlined leather sneaker collection around.
How unlined leather sneakers fit and why
Crafting handmade sneakers in Northampton takes time. There would be little point if they did not fit properly. We have our own sizing guide as a starting point, but if your feet are more unusual in shape or width, or if you have high arches or areas that tend to rub, please get in touch. Over the years we have adapted thousands of pairs to individual feet. This collection will be no different.
Horween Dearborn leather. Perfect for the finest unlined sneakers we can craft
Dearborn is one of the softest materials we have ever worked with, and the foundation of our veg tan unlined leather sneaker collection. The team at Horween Leather Co in Chicago have spent a long time getting it right, and it is our job to honour that. The thickness is carefully selected to present it at its most luxurious. Too thin and it will stretch under wear, too thick and it begins to feel heavy against the foot or sock. That balance took time to find and it matters more in an unlined sneaker than anywhere else, because there is nothing between the leather and your skin.
It is a natural vegetable tanned full grain leather, which means every hide carries the growth marks and natural grain variations that came from the animal's life. That variation makes it too inconsistent and too costly for mass production, which makes it exactly right for us. Our clickers take a little more time matching pairs, and it is more demanding to machine, but the result is a leather that is entirely unique to each pair.
Is an unlined sneaker durable?
If you are concerned it will not last as long as our lined collection, do not be. The Dearborn leather was originally developed for the baseball gloves Horween are world famous for. Gloves that take repeated impact, constant flexing, and years of heavy outdoor use. That is the material we are working with.
Full grain does not just mean the leather looks natural. It means the top surface of the hide is kept intact, which is the tightest and strongest part of the fibre structure. Combined with the hidden structure we build into every pair using a splitting technique perfected here in Northampton, these sneakers will hold their shape and their integrity long after most would expect an unlined shoe to give up. Cared for properly, they will last many resoles, just as our lined styles do.
Only possible because we are in Northampton
Twenty five years ago, Chris visited a Northampton factory called Haynes and Cann, renowned makers of RAF boots, considered among the finest military footwear ever produced. During that visit he watched a technique he had never seen before. A leather hide being split halfway through, allowing structure to be inserted inside the leather itself, invisible from the outside and unfelt against the foot. He filed it away in his head.
Haynes and Cann closed in 2010, after losing MOD contracts to cheaper, foreign made alternatives. Their boots are now sought after as collectors items and vintage military surplus. The knowledge they carried has largely gone. Apart from what Chris noticed on that visit twenty five years ago.
That technique is at the heart of every pair in this collection. It is what allows us to build structure into an unlined sneaker without a lining, to give it shape, longevity, and the ability to hold its form through years of wear. The skill had largely disappeared from Northampton, considered too time consuming and too costly for wholesale production. Our made to order, direct to consumer model makes it viable again.
Truly Northampton made, from start to finish. Old skills expressed in a modern way. Artisan leather sneakers made in England, rooted in a craft that nearly disappeared.
How Crown Northampton unlined sneakers feel on foot
All styles in this collection are unisex, available in narrow or wide fittings.
We have added hidden structure to every pair, but without a lining the overall feel is more relaxed and flexible than our lined styles. These sneakers are built on the same last as our Hand Stitch Collection, which sits closer to a dress shoe fitting than the roomier, more casual feel of the Classic Collection. If you are used to our Classic Collection, the fit here will feel a little more refined.
Without a lining there is less internal support initially, but the Dearborn leather moulds to the foot and the cork midsole forms to your footprint over time. The shoe effectively builds its own internal support, unique to the wearer. Beneath that, the Lactae Hevea sole adds a lightness underfoot that suits the casual, easy wearing character of the collection.
If you prefer a more formal, structured feel from day one, our Hand Stitch Collection with a full lining may suit you better.
For anything you are unsure about, get in touch. We are happy to help you find the right fit.
Breaking in unlined leather sneakers
These sneakers will feel slipper soft from the box. That is the nature of the Dearborn leather and the unlined construction. We recommend wearing them for an hour or so at a time to begin with, allowing the hidden structure within the leather to ease gradually to your foot rather than rushing the process.
Once everything has settled, the sneaker will hold its shape beautifully, appearing from the outside as though it were fully lined. The softness stays. The structure follows.
The benefits of unlined leather footwear
The benefits of unlined sneakers for leather footwear go beyond how they feel. As with all our sneakers, the finest natural leathers we use offer excellent breathability. Our unlined sneakers take that a step further. Without a lining between the leather and the foot, air circulates more freely, which makes them particularly well suited to warmer months and sockless wear.
We recommend trying them without socks at least once. It is the best way to understand what a luxury unlined leather sneaker is capable of.
What to wear them with
The beauty of this collection is that the styles do different things. The Abbey, with its Oxford silhouette, works as well with tailored trousers as it does with jeans. Comfortable enough for a long commute, presentable enough for the office. The days of choosing between looking smart and feeling comfortable are over.
The Ashby Loafer is the most relaxed of the four. No laces, slip on, worn without socks with shorts or lightweight trousers on warmer days. If you are looking for summer leather sneakers, this is the one. An easy travel shoe in the truest sense. Light on the foot, light in a bag, and presentable wherever you end up.
How to look after your unlined leather sneakers
A shoe tree works particularly well with this collection, especially if you are wearing them without socks, drawing any moisture from the leather and helping the sneaker hold its shape between wears.
For cleaning and conditioning, our care pack is matched to the Dearborn leather and will keep the surface in good condition over time.
Made to order from Northampton
As with everything we make, these sneakers are made to order in our Northampton factory. If you have a specific date in mind, a holiday, an occasion, or simply a deadline, let us know when you order and we will do our best to accommodate it.
