Whole-Cut Wonders: The Future of Heritage Shoemaking - Chris Woodford of Crown Northampton (#155 S09E01)

This week, we step inside the heart of British shoemaking. Our journey takes us to Northamptonshire, where craftsmanship and tradition run deep. Chris Woodford—6th-generation shoemaker and the man behind Crown Northampton and E. Woodford—opens the doors of his family’s factory to share stories of heritage, innovation, and the enduring art of making shoes.

We chat about what it means to carry on a legacy while steering a modern business, the surprising freedom that comes when every worker has their own key, and the obsessive pursuit of making products as good as they can possibly be—using the finest leathers sourced from around the world.

And yes, we dive into the wonderfully mad idea of crafting whole-cut welted sneakers that take 50 hours to make… and why people can’t get enough of them.

This is a rich, two-hour conversation about passion, precision, and the quiet joy of making things that last.

You can find Crown Northampton on the web at crownnorthampton.com and on Instagram as @crownnorthampton

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can  buymeacoffee.com/garmology

Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.

Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.