Inside Tricker’s London: England’s Oldest Goodyear Welted Shoe Brand

What does it take to create a brand so high quality that it has existed for nearly 200 years, survived the London Blitz, and earned a Royal Warrant from King Charles himself?

While visiting his sister in London, our editor Nick stopped by the London headquarters of Tricker’s, founded in 1829, to learn more about the footwear they produce, compare the style and history of British and American boots, and understand what exactly a Royal Warrant is.

Neil Young — the store’s Sales Executive — greeted him at the Jermyn Street store in the St. James district.

The Tricker’s Country Brogue

Established in 1829, Tricker’s footwear is produced at their factory in Northampton, the legendary heart of England’s shoemaking industry.

“We previously had a Royal Warrant by appointment to the Prince of Wales, which was Prince Charles at the time,” Neil said. “Before his late mother’s passing and him becoming the King, we would supply him with shoes amd supply members of the royal household. And we’ve recently been awarded by appointment to the King, which is fantastic.”

The country’s oldest maker of Goodyear welted shoes, Nick expressed some surprise that a brand so closely associated with royalty and aristocracy is so centered on footwear that leans casual. Their best known products are country brogues: outdoor footwear designed to weather muddy farms and marshy countrysides.

“Think farmers and land owners: people that exist in areas of this country where they might have to walk in a lot of wet weather and need something that works in a variety of environments,” says Neil. “That’s where the famous country brogue aesthetic comes from.”

He likens country brogues today to four-wheel drive cars: created for rough terrain, but now just as common and desirable in urban centers. This combination of practicality and ornamentation appeals to a wide range of consumers, from urbanites to farmers and even the King of England. With a double thick sole and hardy storm Goodyear welt, these boots are designed to last resole after resole, looking better all the time.

Tricker’s Stow Boot

“We have the Stow boots. It’s a wingtip brogue with a very thick double-thickness sole.” Neil said, “Most of them will have a rubber sole, a storm welt that comes further up the shoe to allow less water ingress when you’re walking through puddles and grass and mud, and this has a bellows tongue in it to stop water ingress. So it’s something that works very hard.”

Something people love is Tricker’s ability to combine rugged, functional features like thick lugs and welts with the ornamental perforated patterns, called broguing, that’s more typical of dressier shoes.

Just don’t be fooled into thinking the broguing is purely decorative: this technique was invented because the holes help water run off of the shoe. As it became more common on more expensive footwear, it became common on dressy wingtip shoes — which would no doubt horrify the upper class of the 19th century, who would consider it a very outdoorsy design!

British vs. American Boots

Tricker’s has formal footwear, but they specialize in hard working, resoleable footwear — and yet, the aesthetic is quite different to your regular American boot, which is more often modeled after boots worn (or inspired) by miners, railway workers, and loggers.

Tricker’s was founded thousands of years after England’s inhabitants had tamed and built their country, with their sturdier footwear more closely associated with farming and hunting.

Other Popular Styles from Tricker’s

One boot that you don’t often see in American work boot brands? The Chelsea.

Sure, it’s fairly common stateside as a casual boot and on disposable, non-resoleable boots like Blundstones, but it’s not as widespread as you’d expect among serious work boot brands like those found in the Pacific Northwest.

That’s because it’s a very British invention: the first Chelsea was created as a walking boot for Queen Victoria, and Tricker’s sells a range that include the brogued Dealer boot and the more modern Brighton.

This is a US-based website and whenever we cover such British styles, comments on YouTube suggest that it can feel a bit too exotic for the average American boot fan.

That’s why Nick was delighted by the boot he considered the best to bridge the gap between the two countries’ aesthetics: the Ethan boot.

“Some people say they look almost like an Adidas trainer or a boxing shoe,” says Neil. “Some say it’s from an Eastern European military. We do a shorter version and a few online exclusives.

On top of amazing boots, Tricker’s also makes some very cool derby shoes. The Woodstock, seen above, is one of their most popular casual styles.

“We made it a bit more minimal and easy to wear with casual stuff,” Neil said. “I sold it to a guy the other day, a relatively young chap, wore it with his turned-up jeans. Nice commando sole. Definitely stylish — just a cracking little shoe.”

Conclusion

If you’re in London, head down to 67 Jermyn Street and tell Neil that Nick sent you. The nice thing about Jermyn Street is that every other store is an esteemed, beloved, and traditional menswear and footwear brand — but, of course, you should walk past all of them and go straight into Tricker’s.

Thanks to Arterton for producing this video — check out their site to learn more about their expertise in luxury garment care.