Grenson 2014 new styles 14th March 2014

In the mid 1800’s William Green started making shoes from the confines of his humble cottage home in Rushden Northamptonshire with his mother. Through hard work, perseverance and of course plenty of talent he set up a company known as William Green & son which attracted some of the finest shoe artisans from around the country. In 1874 he opened the “Green’s Yard” factory which was the first factory in the world to use the “Goodyear welt” on gentlemen’s shoes.

It wasn’t long before “Green & Son” became Grenson, a brand which now stands apart from other Northampton manufacturers having mastered catering for both the traditionalist and the fashion conscious amongst us.

The Grenson brand is now a giant in the shoe industry and although they have changed a lot since they first opened their doors centuries ago their ethos for craftsmanship and innovation is still alive and kicking. Crossovers with the fashion colossus Barbour are testament to the strength of the brand and later this year will be the release of a collaboration with the ever popular Vivienne Westwood!

The 2014 season has seen some excellent new additions to the Grenson Two range and I feel it would be just plain rude not to tip my hat to them here.

The Grenson Jerry: Simply put this shoe is fantastic. The styling is ridiculously simple, a plain 5 eyelet derby but the materials used is what makes this model so special. The uppers are made from a two tone blue canvas, a natural welt surrounds the shoe and underneath is a lightweight, white rubber deck sole, with blue laces giving the shoe that final touch.

A delightful addition to any wardrobe, worn casually with shorts, jeans or trousers you can picture wearing them by the lakeside on a hot Summers day and looking effortlessly laid back and elegant.

The Grenson Max: Having worked with shoes for many years now I have seen several brands try and perfect the shoe/trainer hybrid with little success until now. Grensons Max has just the right combination of styling, structure and material to finally give the market what it has needed so badly for so long. The shoe takes the form of an oxford, with a wingtip toe, only a small amount of detailing along the trim with understated hole punching is used which is the key to giving it that “shoe” look without going over board. The uppers are made from both calf leather and a breathable nylon which softly introduces the trainer element, Grenson have the balance exactly right with both materials working harmoniously with each other.

Finishing the look is a Vibram sneaker sole unit, matching the uppers in Jet Black it provides a sleek look to the shoe and that essential comfort level you generally only find with trainers. 

The Grenson Teddy: Impact – Colour - Vibrancy ... all words easily associated with the Teddy.

With its bright evocative uppers and contrasting soles you are sure to make a bold statement this season. The shoe is in essence a plain derby, with a hole punched wingtip design adorning the front of the shoe. The uppers are a soft calf leather and come in either brilliant white or sky blue which works beautifully with the electric blue of the soles made especially for Grenson by Vibram; these finely crafted shoes will work perfectly with your summer wardrobe. Normally I would say that it would take a brave soul to wear something so colourful but why should bravery be necessary in wearing a thing of such beauty?