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Crown Northampton Sneakers

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
The Harlestone sounds/looks like a winner. Although you may say they are not attention-grabbing, they are most certainly unique. Lotta years of enjoyment to look forward to. Interested to see the patina develop over time.

Nicely done. :thumbup1:
 
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/

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I'm already thinking about a second pair🤪
 
I wasn’t sure which thread to post these in. Jut’s original thread about Crown Northampton. This is the one that prompted me to buy a pair of Harlestones last year and got me going down the Crown rabbit hole. I have been very impressed with these shoes and Crown’s service. Johnniegold’s thread per-suede-d would also be a good fit. Even his desert boot thread with its brittle sophistication was a possibility. I ended up going with the Crown thread.

The decision on the Harestones was between tan buffalo and brown deer suede. I opted for buffalo but really liked the suede. It’s an extremely dark shade brown, the texture is like soft velvet. Altogether decadent as only brown suede can be and very comfortable. I leant from trial and error that I take a 9.5 G so that issue was solved. I decided that the Grove desert shoe would be a good candidate. Crown was happy to make that shoe up in the deer suede at no extra charge. Sole color was a tough call – brown really blended in. I liked the toffee though. Based on the idea that I could always darken the toffee with dye but it would be hard to lighten the brown, toffee was the choice. By the way the back story on the deer suede is interesting as well – deer hides were a waste product from the Scottish venison industry when Barrhead Kid company decided to start tanning them. They not turn about 5000 hides a year into leathers of various kinds.

Today the shoes arrived. Well packed. Study box, two shoe bags, spare set of laces, a leather key fob and based on an email question about how to care for the buffalo leather – a free jar of Saphir nappa paste! Talk about customer service. Crown has it in spades.

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The shoes are ridiculously comfortable. Unlined deer suede with minimal structure makes for a very easy to wear shoe. I like the look of these too. A good quality crepe sole and the simple upper. A perfect warmer weather shoe. A few more pics follow. Just a note of interest – the time between ordering the Harlestones and the Groves was about 5 ½ months. Order numbers were 5018 and 6241. An average of about 220 pairs per month.

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johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
Congrats! :clap:

These shoes are spectacular. :thumbup1:

They color is indeed decadent and the toffee crepe was a perfect choice and it’s hard to beat the comfort of unlined suede.

The slight taper of the toe box adds a bit more sophistication and casual elegance to the Grove than that of the Cityflex shoe with it’s more bulbous toe area.

Are the second set of laces the same style of flat waxed or different?

Bet they would look great with bar-styled lacing.

Thanks for sharing your dealings with Crown Northampton. Not only have you demonstrated their commitment to producing high-quality, finely-crafted footwear but their commitment to their customers which is always a win-win combo all the way around.

I’m quite certain a pair of their desert boots are in my future. :yesnod:

We better start stocking up on our suede cleaning products. :lol:

Wear them in good health.
 
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Thanks! They are comfortable - essentially no break in required. The second pair of laces are the same as the ones in the shoes (as with the Harelstones). The shape of the toe box is good - rounded but not too "Budapester".

Current lead time is about 6 weeks. The quoted USD price includes VAT and Crown issues a refund about 2 days after the order is logged. Still expensive but the quality and attention to detail is top notch.

As for cleaning products - I have a simple solution. I'll email Crown and enquire. Then place an order for a pair of shoes and they will probably send some. Some of those shell cordovan sneakers look pretty good. Then again, the Upton wholecuts in natural Chromexel are interesting. Even a back up pair of Groves might be a good idea.
 
It’s a good decision, warmer weather just round the corner. So that’s two pairs of DBs - anyone else in?

Bear in mind that Crown will make up in most materials that they offer. Potentially shell desert boots are possible - presumably those would cost more than suede. The deer suede is exceptionally soft and flexible. It still seems to be quite tough though.
 
I pulled the trigger. I had been on the precipice of getting the sand kudu boots with natural soles for probably about a month. You pushed me over the edge!

With the price of everything going up, it was a good time to buy, right? That's what I'm telling myself anyway 😄
 
That was a long wait! Arrived today. Can't wait to give them a stroll.
 

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How are the boots so far?
Thanks for asking. They are working out well. Virtually no break in period with the kudu suede. Speaking of the suede, this is my first suede shoes in years...it is quite luxurious.

I wore them to work today and have already received compliments!
 

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johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
Thanks for asking. They are working out well. Virtually no break in period with the kudu suede. Speaking of the suede, this is my first suede shoes in years...it is quite luxurious.

I wore them to work today and have already received compliments!
You’re about to receive another compliment…

Those look fantastic. Crown Northampton does a great job. I’m thinking of a pair of chromexcel desert boots since I’ve recently acquired several pairs of suede shoes/boots.

Wear those in good health. They will only get better with time.

:thumbup1:
 
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