Crown Northampton Sneakers

[Jut]

Has anyone tried these, and if so, what are your thoughts?

 

[ajkel64]

I have never heard of them until now. Just looked them up and they don’t look too bad. Hopefully someone will have had some experience with them and they can let us know what they think.

 

[blantyre]

Interesting. Bourbon shell sneakers no less. The brown deer suede look nice too. I don’t need any more shoes so I will resist the temptation to try a pair - for now at least.

I noticed that over the last couple of years Allen Edmonds has been offering some high end sneakers. Basically dress shoe lasts and designs with a sneaker type sole. Frankly nothing close to these in styling. The AE offerings are novel but nothing clicked for me.

It is hard to imagine going back to the days when lace up Oxfords were the basic staple of the bull pen. Learn or perish - the shoe makers are getting creative. Like classic watches, I expect the well made all leather more casual shoes will be in demand since they are a joy to wear. Black cap toe Oxfords? I’m not so sure that anyone ever really liked them even though we all have a pair or two gathering dust between polishings.

 

[Jut]

I noticed that over the last couple of years Allen Edmonds has been offering some high end sneakers. Basically dress shoe lasts and designs with a sneaker type sole. Frankly nothing close to these in styling. The AE offerings are novel but nothing clicked for me.

This is exactly what came to my mind. I was liked what I saw from AE, but have been leery of AE of late...it seems like they are beginning to outsource things. I got scared when i saw the AE sneakers were "imported" (from where it didn't say).

But, these are made to order in the UK and i am thinking of getting a pair.

 

[GeronimoWSB]

I have heard of these and finally realized they were reviewed on Rose Anvils yt channel. They garnered alot of good feedback in the comments.

 

[blantyre]

I’ve had a pair in a cart a couple of times now. Can’t make my mind up since I only wear about half the shoes I have already. The tan bison do look good though. At least it me pushed into sending a couple pairs of old shoes on to the charity shop. Duplicates of styles that I don’t wear more the once a year.

Lots of shoe makers seem to be jumping on the “hybrid” bandwagon - just got an email from Grenson today. Crown seem to be the best quality so far. I’m not in the least a follower of fashion but I do wonder whether in 3 or 4 years these will be the shoe equivalent of a leisure suit? Instead key parties they will be associated with lockdown solitude. Either that of these will eclipse the trad. shoe perhaps. Time will tell.

 

[Jut]

I'm giving them a go. I'll let you know what I think.

 

[blantyre]

I also pulled the trigger over the weekend. Harlestone in tan bison with a gum sole. Interested to hear what you think of yours.

 

[Jut]

My pair arrived. They seem very well made. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[Jut]

Couple more

 

[blantyre]

Very nice! I got an email a couple of weeks ago saying another 5-10 business days so possibly shipping as soon as this week.

What’s the material? Color 8 shell? They look well made.

 

[Jut]

Yes, color 8. They do seem well made. But I've only worn them for about an hour this afternoon. My assessment so far is that they are very comfortable on the bottom of the feet. I'm sure the upper will get there, but the shell is pretty stiff and needs broken in.

 

[blantyre]

Intermediate update. I received a pair of Harlestones in tan Horween buffalo/gum sole a few days ago. Really well made top quality shoe. A pair of good shoe bags included. Sturdy box. I ordered size UK 9G. This works well for me in other quality UK brands like Church’s. They were more snug than I like and I couldn’t convince myself that they would fit even after some use. Crown has an excellent return policy - they emailed me necessary paperwork and DHL took the package. Crown will deduct 25 UKPd from the refund. I have ordered the same style in a 9.5 UK size. In about 2 months I’ll update! It’s notable that from the order numbers the difference is about 500. Not certain that this means 500 pairs sold in 2 months but it seems as if it might. This thread is of course an enabler so probably that number will only increase.

 

[Jut]

Intermediate update. I received a pair of Harlestones in tan Horween buffalo/gum sole a few days ago. Really well made top quality shoe. A pair of good shoe bags included. Sturdy box. I ordered size UK 9G. This works well for me in other quality UK brands like Church’s. They were more snug than I like and I couldn’t convince myself that they would fit even after some use. Crown has an excellent return policy - they emailed me necessary paperwork and DHL took the package. Crown will deduct 25 UKPd from the refund. I have ordered the same style in a 9.5 UK size. In about 2 months I’ll update! It’s notable that from the order numbers the difference is about 500. Not certain that this means 500 pairs sold in 2 months but it seems as if it might. This thread is of course an enabler so probably that number will only increase.

Thanks for sharing this info. I am really enjoying the pair I received; they have broken in nicely. I liked them so much that I bought my wife a pair for her birthday. I've been worried about what I am going to do if they don't fit her. It's reassuring to know how their return policy works.

FWIW, I generally wear a 12e in Allen Edmonds and a 11.5e or 12d in Alden (depending on the last). I went with an 11 for the Crowns and have been pleased with the fit.

 

[global_dev]

Nice shoes. Rancourt makes a similar style and i near great things about their footwear and service.

Sneakers

Shop Rancourt and Company's classic men's leather and suede sneakers online. Handsewn at our factory in Lewiston, Maine using traditional techniques.

www.rancourtandcompany.com

 

[blantyre]

Those Rancourts look good. I’ll check them out.

 

[blantyre]

It's reassuring to know how their return policy works.

The shoes arrived back at Crown a few days ago. They issued a refund for the full price today. I don’t know if they waived the quoted return shipping because I ordered a replacement in a larger size or if it’s a gesture of good will. I doubt that it was a mistake since they seem to be well organized. In any case, I would say buy with confidence, they are a top shelf operation and they seem to stand behind their products.

 

[Jut]

My wife's shoes actually just arrived and they fit her well, so I won't have to use the return policy just yet. It's a breath of fresh air though to hear that they work towards making things right. I hope your replacement pair fits well and get to you soon!

 

[blantyre]

I’m still waiting for the larger size but according to the banner on the Crown website lead time is down to 20-30 working days. Should be shipping soon!

 

[blantyre]

The replacement 9.5 G (up half a size) Harlestone in tan buffalo hide arrived on 10/14 - 3 days from the UK to near Chicago. They fit much better than the 9 (same experience with the Sanders Luthers). It’s odd since I have several pairs of 9 G from other UK shoemakers and they fit very well. Anyway, they are keepers as far as I’m concerned. Some comments and rather poor quality pics:

• The leather is pleasantly soft and has a good amount of give. On a scale that runs from shell cordovan as 1 to light suede as 10, the Horween buffalo is an 8 or 9. This means that I could allow a small amount of snugness since it walks out in the first day or less.
• The soles are very grippy. The inner cork bed along with the natural rubber outsole provide a noticeably springy step. Certainly very well cushioned. Even though they hardly need breaking in, I expect that the cork bed will form even better over the first 50 miles or so. I covered about 5 miles so far mostly outside and they are extremely comfortable.
• The construction quality is top shelf. A pair of high quality shoes bags were included. The box is good quality and would be suitable for long term storage if I didn’t use a shoe rack.
• The color of the hide matches throughout. The first image in daylight is pretty true to color. The low light ones make the leather look much redder than it really is. Crown does state that: “Horween buffalo leather is tanned in the US with olive oil and is naturally shrunken through the process of olive oil tanning. Each skin features a pronounced grain which can vary in tone across the surface and it has a touch and feel that’s soft and very similar to nubuck.” There is a fairly pronounced difference in the grain from the left to right vamp. My wife commented that the left looks almost like crocodile. While still quite a distinctive grain, the right is relatively smooth. I would not say that this is a disappointment, or even a flaw. I would have preferred it if the differences were less stark – preferably both the coarser grain. The size 9s that I returned were much closer to the mean.
• I noticed that even small drops of water give a short-lived dark spot that disappears once it dries in 10-15 minutes. Probably not a very good rain shoe. At some point, I am sure this will be tested.
• Even though these shoes have open lacing, the large number of lacing eyelets (7) and the friction between the (very good quality) laces and the eyes mean that they act a bit like Oxfords. Unlike say a Chuck Taylor that is easy to get on and off, you are better off using a shoe horn if you don’t want to spend a lot of time loosening and fiddling with the laces. Probably not a good choice for trips to places like Asia where you might be taking your shoes on and off all day.

Overall, I am very happy with these shoes. The quality is high. They are stylish without being gimmicky or overly attention grabbing. The price is quite high but they are hand made to order from top quality materials. There is no evidence of corner cutting or skimping to reduce costs. Lead time was about 8 weeks for the 9s but closer to 6 weeks for the replacements with v. fast shipping included. Return was easy since Crown provided a DHL label so I just had to tape the box and drop it off. They appear to have waived the $25 return charge as well.

One reservation I had about buying a pair of these is that many of the shoe makers from mass market all the way up the line (maybe not Alden yet) seem to be moving these crossover shoes into their line ups – who buys black lace ups any more? Even though I am not a follower of fashion, I was concerned that these styles might go the way of the leisure suit and look like a self-parody in 2-3 years. While I wouldn’t care if I liked them, there is a difference between quality stylish retro and just owning something that really turned out to be a bad style idea (like a leisure suit). At least as far as the Harlestones are concerned, there is no danger of this. The shoes look classic and will stand the test of time as well as anything IMO. The build quality and refurb service mean that they will last a very long time, even if you actually wear them.

The only remaining question now that I have figured out Crown’s sizing system is what happens next? They have a mouthwatering range of options and will make semi-custom (such a stitchdown in shell) on request. If you are at all weak willed, I would suggest avoiding their website (don’t be put off by those awful slippers on the first page!) Handmade Shoes UK - Shoemakers Northampton - https://crownnorthampton.com/