The Ernest Wholecut is made using English calf leather that takes well over a year to tan. Only the finest skins are suitable, and just a few are selected each week, which makes this leather rare before we even begin (read more about that here).
The only thing rarer than the materials we use is the skill of the people who make our shoes. This is especially true for the Ernest, our most time-consuming style, with each pair taking well over 40 hours to complete. The team that makes the Ernest has been trained for at least ten years by master shoemakers with over fifty years of experience.
This makes them rare craftsmen indeed. We have been delighted by the response to what we believe is the world’s best sneaker. We have more staff in training, ready to step in, but for now, demand is joyfully outstripping what we can make.
We want to explain why this matters, and why the lead times for the Ernest have already moved from 12–15 weeks to 18–20 weeks as more people choose to invest in a shoe that takes time to make.
The Ernest is the best we can do, as well as the materials mentioned above, part of its appeal is in the look that comes from its unique wholecut design and hand-welted construction. But it is also about the personal service. We take the time to get the fit right, because that matters.
We believe that making shoes this way creates depth in many forms: depth of character in the product, depth of heritage in the craft, and depth of value for the local community it supports. Even if it is just a small part of why you choose the Ernest, we hope it is reassuring to know that every pair helps keep a craft alive.
It supports local shoemakers in a town where the industry has shrunk, and only a few of us remain. We like to think there are enough people out there who feel the same way, and who want to own a small piece of Northampton’s heritage.
The world changed quickly for our town. As production moved offshore, many factories closed, and only a few of us remain. Wealthy brand owners took advantage of cheaper options, but we chose a different path. By reversing the tide of mass production, we have been able to create jobs and keep these skills alive. The internet now allows us to show the true value of heritage craft. It is easy to print “Made in England” on a label. Doing the work here, day in and day out, is something else entirely.
We have created our own unique method of hand-welting that combines the history of our town with the success of the modern designs Crown Northampton is known for. This approach means more people can be trained in hand-lasting, hand-welting, and hand-stitching soles, using beautiful materials that were once set aside in favour of cheaper imports.
Timing was critical for the Ernest. Many ingredients were needed. Over the past ten years, we invested in our own property and in our people, ensuring we had master shoemakers available to train our staff. We had the passion to create new styles and the belief that making things that matter would be recognised. We needed this platform to show what can be done.
Our work is rooted in the people who craft the shoes, but it is also about something bigger. Northampton has always been about community, and being together is what makes us human. The knife makers, the box makers, the last makers, the tanneries, and our in-factory customer care team all play their part, offering a level of service that many people have almost forgotten exists.
The world is moving further away from skilled, artisanal craft. We want to show its value and prove that it can still be relevant. And on that note, every member of our team is trained to move across collections, so whichever Crown piece you choose, it will have been made with the same skilled hands and care.
“Nothing worth doing right is easy. Choosing to do things the Crown Northampton way was the easy part. The hard part is the work and time it takes to do it properly, knowing it will never make the financial sense that others might demand. But maybe that is the point. Maybe community and quality matter more than numbers.”
– Chris Woodford, Founder, Crown Northampton
Every Ernest ordered is proof there are people who feel the same way we do, and who are willing to wait for something that should take time to make.
