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A heritage to be proud of…

loake-benelux-history-heritage

My family has been making traditional English shoes for longer than anyone can remember. My great-grandfather John opened the first Loake factory with his brothers, Thomas and William, back in 1880. Today, five generations and more than 130 years later, the Loake association with fine, handmade shoes lives on.

As the current custodians of Loake, we are immensely proud of the commitment of our forefathers and the tradition they worked so hard to establish. For this reason our premium grade Goodyear welted shoes continue to be made in Kettering, England, in the same factory that the three brothers built in 1894.

The Goodyear welted construction for which Loake is renowned is an intricate process with origins going back over 300 years. Only the very highest quality materials are used. Each pair takes eight weeks to make and we still believe there is no finer way to make a gentleman’s shoe.

Of course, things move on. Alongside our English Goodyear welted footwear we now design and produce a range of shoes outside the UK, using a variety of constructions. This enables us to offer a complete wardrobe of shoes suitable for every occasion.

We estimate Loake has made over 50 million pairs of Goodyear welted shoes since it began. We now export to more than 50 countries and have become a favourite with discerning customers worldwide. Our aim is to uphold this tradition and continue making the most handsome, comfortable and durable shoes we can.

Andrew Loake
Managing Director

  • loake-benelux-mr-thomas-loake

    Mr Thomas Loake

  • loake-benelux-mr-john-loake

    Mr John Loake

  • loake-benelux-mr-william-loake

    Mr William Loake

  • loake-benelux-1880-thomas-loake

    1880

    A tradition is born
    Loake is set up in Kettering, Northamptonshire, by three brothers, Thomas, John and William. The business is started in an outbuilding at Thomas Loake’s house at 62 King Street.

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    1894

    Finding its home
    Loake moves to Wood Street, where it can still be found today. In the early days, the factory is called the Unique Boot Factory. It has a floor area of approximately 20,000 sq ft, accommodates over 300 workers and is considered one of the finest and most advanced shoe factories in the country.

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    1914-18

    The war effort
    Loake’s contribution to the war effort includes the manufacture of Terrain boots, Convalescent boots and Despatch Riders boots for the British army. Vast quantities of Cossack boots are also made for the Russian army.

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    1939-45

    More for the forces
    Every business has to allocate space for the war effort and Loake produces footwear for the forces, both Naval and RAF officers. At its peak, production runs to 2,500 pairs of screwed and stitched boots a week.

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    1945

    The Loake Brand
    Immediately after the war the company starts to carry stock lines and the Loake brand is officially registered (although it has been in use before).

  • loake-benelux-2007-royal-approval

    2007

    Royal approval
    Loake is granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HM The Queen.

  • loake-benelux-2007-service-second-to-none

    2007

    Service second to none
    Loake acquires a new warehouse to accommodate increasing demand on its in-stock service.

  • loake-benelux-2011-first-shop

    2011

    Opening of our first shop
    Situated in the heart of London, our first shop opens to the public in late November.

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