Over the past 20 years, the amount we spend on shoes in the UK has tripled. It now stands at £14bn.

During the same period, our domestic footwear industry has dramatically shrunk. The vast majority of shoes we buy are now made overseas.

One town remains synonymous with shoemaking. Northampton. And it’s here that you can still find craftspeople making some of the finest shoes in the world. Brands like Crockett and Jones, Edward Green, Tricker’s and Joseph Cheaney & Sons are still selling their shoes to the world.

In this special episode of The Factory Next Door, we head off on a tour of Northampton to ask a simple question:

What can we do today, to ensure that in 10 years time Northampton’s historic shoe industry is growing again?

We begin at last makers Springline, where director Michael chats to us about how we can help ourselves. He also shares a story that breaks my heart.

Chris, founder of Crown Northampton shows us around his factory making the world’s finest trainer, as we consider overhauling the benefits of working in the industry.

And then we pop in to visit a friend of the show, William Church from Cheaney to discuss the challenges facing the industry right now – and how to overcome them.  

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