Sanders Shoes News

Tweed Pig in Shoe Praise Deluge

Inundated. That's the only word to describe the number of emails we've received praising Sanders. These emails were not referring to Bernie Sanders — nor George or Colonel Sanders for that matter — but the chukka boots by Sanders Shoes mentioned on the Tweed TV episode with Steve McQueen. Keen for a chance to improve the viewing figures, here comes a little bit of background on Sanders Shoes that's been sitting on my infamous pile of  'to do' notes for quite some time. We get there in the end.

About Sanders Shoes

My notes tell me that Henry Sanders the Managing Director was away when I made them, but that tells us that the company is still family-owned  — something that always gives us confidence in products: skin in the game.

What else? Well, Sanders & Sanders Ltd was established in 1873 by brothers William Sanders and Thomas Sanders of Rushden, Northamptonshire (shoe capital of Great Britain and where Sanders still manufacture). Their initial vision was to offer outstanding quality footwear (firstly, boots) to discerning members of the public throughout England using the finest English hides and the best local oak-bark tanned soles.

The initial vision of the company remains with the company and the fourth generation of Sanders in charge, but the traditional skills to produce the quality footwear are now supplemented by modern production machinery and advanced computer control systems. Expanding considerably out of their UK base, Sanders now exports footwear directly to over thirty countries.

Current Sanders styles include the elegant Diplomats Collection represented by the London full brogue in calf leather here:

Most of Sanders' footwear is made using the Goodyear welted construction method, where the upper, insole, welt and sole and entirely stitched together, though they may be most famous for the Chukka — an absolute timeless classic built on a gloriously thick crepe rubber sole — green being the colour option of choice for old Tweedy.

I do apologise, but you have no option — you positively must include a pair of these in your classic wardrobe and that's the end of it.