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What’s This About
Crockett & Jones shoes can be worth it if the last fits you and you will wear and resole them for years, but the price alone does not prove they are better than other welted shoes.
This guide explains the brand and how to judge it, such as:
What the price of a Crockett & Jones shoe pays for
The brand’s documented history since 1879
The difference between the main collection and the Hand Grade
Dated prices and resoling costs
How to wear a black Oxford, a suede chukka and a loafer
and many more!
Choose the shoe that fits your foot and your wardrobe first, and the brand second.
Key Points
01Crockett & Jones has made Goodyear-welted shoes in Northampton since 1879 and is still family-owned.
02The Hand Grade differs mainly in leather, last shape and finish, not in how the sole is attached.
03Prices vary by country and retailer, so check the current price where you live.
04A black cap-toe Oxford suits business and formal days, and a brown suede chukka suits weekends.
Crockett & Jones is a family-owned English shoemaker in Northampton, known for Goodyear-welted Oxfords, Derbies, loafers and boots.
Its shoes cost several hundred pounds a pair, so the fair question is what that price pays for and whether it is worth it to you.
This guide gives the brand’s documented history, explains the difference between its main and Hand Grade collections, sets out clear criteria for the “worth it” question and shows how to wear its classic shoes.
What the Price Pays For
Crockett & Jones says each pair takes up to eight weeks to make and involves more than 200 separate operations in its Northampton factory.
The shoes are Goodyear-welted: a strip of leather, the welt, is stitched to the upper and then to the sole, so a worn sole can be replaced without damaging the rest of the shoe.
The company describes its leathers as calf from leading European tanneries, along with suede, grain leather and shell cordovan.
Like any maker, Crockett & Jones does not publish a cost breakdown, so any exact split of the price into materials, labour and profit is a guess.
The price also pays for English factory wages, shops in prime locations such as London’s Jermyn Street, and the brand’s reputation, and none of those makes a seam stronger.
For a plain explanation of welted, Blake-stitched and cemented shoes, see our dress shoes guide for men.
The Heritage Behind the Name
James Crockett and Charles Jones founded the business in Northampton in 1879 with £100 each from the Thomas White Trust, a local charity, according to the company’s history published with the British Fashion Council on Google Arts & Culture.
The firm moved to its Magee Street factory by 1891, and the building is still in use today.
The same history records that the company made boots for the British forces in both world wars and supplied boots for Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition of 1914.
The Jones family still runs the business, and the company describes it as a fifth-generation family firm.
Crockett & Jones holds a Royal Warrant from HM The King as a manufacturer and supplier of footwear, according to the Royal Warrant Holders Association.
A warrant shows that a firm supplies the royal household; it does not tell you which shoes any member of the family wears.
Crockett & Jones on Screen
Crockett & Jones says it has supplied footwear for the James Bond films since Skyfall in 2012, including Spectre and No Time to Die.
In No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s Bond wore the Molton, a dark brown rough-out suede chukka boot.
A film credit shows that a costume designer chose the shoes for a character, not that the shoes suit every wardrobe, so choose by fit and use first.
At the Top Gun: Maverick premiere in May 2022, Prince William wore black velvet slippers reported by Woman & Home to be from Crockett & Jones.
Main Collection or Hand Grade?
The main collection covers the brand’s classic and contemporary shoes and boots, with leather or rubber soles.
The Hand Grade collection uses finer calf, slimmer asymmetric lasts and more hand finishing, and the company says these shoes can take up to ten weeks to make.
Both collections are Goodyear-welted, so the difference lies mainly in the leather, the shape of the last and the finish rather than in how the sole is attached.
If you will wear your shoes hard in all weathers, a main collection shoe with a rubber or leather sole is the practical choice; if you notice and enjoy a sleeker shape and finer finish, try the Hand Grade.
Prices
On 7 October 2026, the Crockett & Jones US website listed the main collection Connaught 2 Oxford in black calf with a rubber city sole at $930 and the Hand Grade Audley Oxford in black calf at $1,100.
Prices differ by country, retailer and season, so check the brand’s own website for the price where you live.
Crockett & Jones is usually priced below Edward Green and John Lobb ready-to-wear, and Church’s makes Goodyear-welted shoes at overlapping prices, while Allen Edmonds usually costs less.
Ape to Gentleman reported in 2021 that a factory resole cost about £125, which is worth adding to the cost of ownership.
Are Crockett & Jones Shoes Worth It?
Judge them against these criteria rather than on the price or the name.
Construction: Goodyear welting means the shoes can be resoled many times, which spreads the cost over years.
Fit: Crockett & Jones makes its shoes on several lasts, so try the exact model and size, ideally in the afternoon when feet are slightly larger.
Leather and finish: the Hand Grade is worth the extra money only if you value its finer leather and sleeker shape.
Use: a black or dark brown Oxford or a brown suede boot that you wear every week repays its cost far faster than a shoe for rare occasions.
Care: shoe trees, rest days and regular polishing matter as much as the maker in how long a pair lasts.
A high price does not prove higher quality, and no pair of shoes changes how other people judge your worth.
On balance, Crockett & Jones shoes can be worth it if the last fits you, you choose versatile styles and you plan to wear and resole them for years; if price matters most, compare them with other welted makers, including sale prices.
How to Wear Crockett & Jones Shoes
The Black Oxford for Business
A plain black cap-toe Oxford such as the Connaught is one of the most formal everyday shoes and suits business suits, interviews and funerals.
Wear: a charcoal or navy wool suit, a white shirt, a dark silk tie and black cap-toe Oxfords with dark socks, with a navy overcoat in winter.
Our Oxford shoes guide covers more combinations.
The Suede Chukka for Weekends
A brown suede chukka boot, such as the Molton, sits easily with jeans, chinos and knitwear.
Wear: a navy crew-neck jumper over a white Oxford shirt, dark straight jeans, brown suede chukka boots and a waxed or quilted jacket.
The Loafer for Smart Casual
A brown or burgundy leather penny loafer covers business-casual days and summer events.
Wear: a navy blazer, a light blue shirt, grey or stone trousers with a short break and brown leather penny loafers.
The Country Derby
A brown grain-leather Derby or brogue with a thicker sole suits tweed and cord in cold, wet weather.
Wear: a tweed jacket, a checked shirt, a green crew-neck jumper, brown cord trousers and brown grain-leather Derby shoes.
Looking After Your Shoes
Use cedar shoe trees, rest each pair for a day between wears and polish regularly so the leather does not dry out.
Have the heels and soles repaired before they wear through to the welt.
The Verdict
Crockett & Jones has made Goodyear-welted shoes in Northampton since 1879 and still runs as a family business.
Its price pays for that construction, English manufacture and the brand, and similar construction is available from other makers at a range of prices.
The shoes can be good value if they fit you, you choose a versatile style and you wear, care for and resole them for many years.
Next Steps With The VOU
If you would like help applying these ideas to your own wardrobe, take our three quizzes, then book a consultation if you want personal help.
Our guides explain what an image consultant does and how to choose the right image consultant.
You can read about dressing for your body shape, seasonal colour palettes and fashion silhouettes, and our guide to styling by occasion, location, season and time of day explains how to combine clothes, garments, footwear and accessories into outfits.
A label alone does not make an outfit work, as our articles on heritage fashion brands and how logo-heavy luxury designs come across discuss.
1. Check Your Body Shape
To check your body shape, take our body shape quiz for men.
2. Find Your Seasonal Colours
To find your seasonal colours, take our seasonal colour quiz for men.
3. Find Your Fashion Style
Take the fashion style quiz for men to see which personal fashion styles match your taste, with outfit ideas for each.
None of the quizzes is needed to wear the outfits in this guide.
Personal Help From The VOU
Our styling services for men are paid consultations; the shop page lists what each one includes.
You can read about The VOU’s image consultants and stylists and about The VOU before you book.
You can also contact us with any questions.
Sources
Crockett & Jones, Our story (checked 7 October 2026).
British Fashion Council on Google Arts & Culture, Est. 1879, Crockett & Jones, fine shoemakers.
Royal Warrant Holders Association, Crockett & Jones Ltd.
Crockett & Jones, Wikipedia (Bond films and shops).
Crockett & Jones US, Connaught 2 Black Calf (City Sole) and Audley Black Calf (prices checked 7 October 2026).
Ape to Gentleman, How Crockett & Jones makes its shoes (updated October 2021).
Woman & Home, Prince William’s shoe choice at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere (20 May 2022).