John White — Designed in Northamptonshire Since 1919
John White was born in 1884 at Irthlingborough, into a Northamptonshire family that made shoes at home, and left school at twelve for the trade. He spent around twenty years as a clicker, cutting uppers for other men's factories, before renting a former paint shop on Crabb Street in Rushden and setting up on his own account. By the end of 1919 he had a press and a licence and was making complete shoes. He bought his first factory, on Church Street, the following year, and by the close of 1921 the business was turning out 100,000 pairs a year.
In 1930, with the shoe trade in difficulty, he designed a new shoe, put the name Impregnable on it and spent £1,200 on a full-page advertisement in the Daily Mail. Production around that point ran to roughly 1.25 million pairs a year. By the middle of the decade the Rushden factories employed 1,200 people, and in 1938-39 the firm built a new works on Lime Street designed by Sir Albert Richardson, later President of the Royal Academy — a building now Grade II listed and converted to flats. By 1941 there were nine factories and close to 2,000 workers; more than eight million pairs of boots and shoes went to the forces over the course of the war, and the company, its directors and its workforce together gave £5,000 to the local Spitfire Fund. The aircraft bought with it was named Impregnable, after the boots.
The Rushden factories closed in 1991 and the name was revived in 2000 by a different business. John White shoes are designed in Northamptonshire today and made by partner manufacturers overseas — we say so plainly, because the history above belongs to the name rather than to a working factory. English Brands stocks the classic lace-up range, the Chelsea and country boots, the Bari sneaker and the belts, from £65 to £275.
What we stock
The John White range at English Brands runs from £65 for a belt to £275 for a Chelsea boot:
- Oxford shoes — Kingsway in black and brown calf, Sergeant capped Oxford in black, Foster semi-brogue Oxford in black, Duke Oxford brogue in black and brown
- Brogues — Charter semi-brogue in black and tan, Bourton suede brogue in brown
- Derby shoes — Rialto in black and brown, Turner in black, Finsbury capped derby in black and brown calf
- Chelsea boots — Cardiff in brown calf on a lightweight sole unit, Yates in flint and snuff suede on a studded rubber sole
- Country and brogue boots — Tay grain boot in brown on a studded rubber sole, Bourton six-eye brogue boot in tan grain
- Sneakers — Bari in white, tan and the denim shade John White call Jeans
- Belts — 35mm dress belts in polished calf, tumbled calf and suede, and 40mm casual calf belts. John White give the origin of the belts as Montecatini in Tuscany, and the buckle as chromed. The belt can be shortened: a screw under the keeper releases the buckle so length can be taken off the tail.
Construction differs from style to style and John White specify it model by model — Blake stitching and leather soles on the Charter and the Finsbury, for instance, and rubber soles under the Cardiff, the Tay and the Yates. The construction for each pair is on its own product page. Where we have not been able to establish it, we leave it unstated rather than guess.
Why John White
A real Northamptonshire name, honestly described — the firm was one of the largest shoemakers in Britain in the 1930s and sent more than eight million pairs of boots and shoes to the British forces during the war. That history is genuine and worth knowing. It is also finished: the factories closed in 1991 and the name has been in different hands since 2000. Design is done in Northamptonshire; manufacture is not. We would rather tell you that than let you assume otherwise.
Priced where the brand has always sat — John White's own trade advertising in 1947 described the firm as specialising in medium price ranges. It was never a luxury maker and it is not one now. Shoes here run £138 to £275, against £200 to £400 and upwards for a Goodyear welted pair from the Northamptonshire factories. If the factory is what you are buying, Loake, Barke and Joseph Cheaney are the pages to look at. If you want a well-made classic shape at a lower price, this is the range that does it.
Classic shapes, specified in plain terms — John White publish a specification for each shoe rather than leaving you to guess. On the Charter and the Finsbury it reads calf upper, calf lining, leather sole, padded seat sock, standard F fitting. The patterns are the conventional English ones: cap-toe Oxford, semi-brogue, full brogue, plain derby, Chelsea boot.
Genuine stock — every pair is genuine John White, and every pair is stocked here in the UK and sent from the UK. Free delivery on orders over £50.
Caring for your John White
Match the routine to the material rather than to the brand:
- Use cedar shoe trees after every wear — they take the moisture out and hold the shape while the leather dries. This matters more on a lighter-built shoe than on a heavy welted one.
- Polish the smooth calf — a matching cream every few wears to feed the leather, wax on the toe and heel if you want more shine, then a horsehair brush. Saphir Medaille d'Or is what we use. Clear the polish out of the punching on the brogues with a smaller brush or it fills and goes dull.
- Brush the suede — the Yates and the Bourton suede want a suede brush after each wear to lift the nap, and a protector spray from new. A suede eraser takes out most dry marks. Deal with them early.
- Rest each pair 24 hours between wears — longer if they have been out in the wet. Dry them away from radiators; heat cracks leather soles and hardens uppers.
- Resoling — a Blake stitched shoe can be resoled, but it needs a cobbler with a Blake machine, so ask before you leave the pair. Rubber sole units are a straightforward job for any good repairer.
- Belts — hang them rather than coiling them in a drawer. Wipe smooth calf with a barely damp cloth and condition it occasionally; brush suede belts dry and keep them out of the rain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are John White shoes made?
They are designed in Northamptonshire and made by partner manufacturers overseas. John White's own account is that the brand works with overseas makers, and Companies House records the present company under wholesale of clothing and footwear rather than under manufacturing. We do not state a country because John White do not publish one per model and we will not guess. The one exception is the belts, where the maker's own specification gives the origin as Montecatini in Tuscany.
Is this the same John White that made boots in the war?
Same name, not the same company. John White founded the firm in Rushden in 1919 and it supplied more than eight million pairs of boots and shoes to the British forces during the Second World War. Its Rushden factories were run down and closed in 1991. The name was bought and revived in 2000 by a separate business, which is the one behind the shoes sold today. The history is real; the line of production was broken for nine years and never resumed in England.
Are John White shoes Goodyear welted?
Not as a rule, and not across the range. John White specify Blake stitch construction with leather soles on the traditional lace-ups such as the Charter semi-brogue and the Finsbury derby, while the Cardiff, Tay and Yates boots sit on rubber soles. Blake stitching is lighter and more flexible than a welt and is normally resoleable, though the repairer needs the right machine. Construction for each model is stated on its own product page.
How do John White shoes fit?
The traditional lace-ups are made on a standard F fitting in whole UK sizes, and most customers take their usual size. The Yates Chelsea boot is built on what John White describe as an elongated last, so it has a longer, slimmer toe than the lace-up styles. The sizes we hold are listed on each product page. If you are between sizes, ask us before ordering.
Are these genuine John White shoes?
Yes. Everything sold here is genuine John White stock, held in the UK and dispatched from the UK, with free delivery on orders over £50. If a size shows as available, we have the pair.
