SHOE CARE

English shoes have a well earned reputation for their quality and durability, in many cases it not being unreasonable to say they would last several years. But in order to receive the best from your shoes, keeping them looking presentable and in good working condition, they need regular care. Care maybe given after months possibly years of wear in the form of a sole and heel repair, it maybe given weekly by polishing and cleaning, or even daily through the use of shoes trees.

More detailed information about shoes care will follow through various posts over time but some of the subjects covered will include;

• Cleaning/polishing



• Repairs



• How to dry wet shoes/heat damage prevention



• Maintaining suede nubuck and other materials



• How to get the best out of soles



• General care



• Products to aid shoes care.



• Things not to do

Certainly one of the most effective and simple ways to increase the life of your shoes is to make use of shoe trees, preferably aromatic cedar wood shoe trees, all you need to do is insert them into your shoes whenever they are not being used. There are many benefits to using trees including protection of leather, fabric, stitching and soles from moisture, acid and salt damage. This in turn reduces cracking and deterioration. The aromatic oil works to kill germs and keep the shoes smelling good with their distinctive sent for life. They smooth out creases and wrinkles both inside and outside of the shoe, helping them keep their shape and ensuring continued comfort.

NORTHAMPTON HOME OF ENGLISH SHOES

What is that all our English brands have in common? Obviously they are all English, but more specifically they are all based in Northampton.
But why Northampton?
Put simply, it is because of it's extensive heritage surrounding shoes. Officially speaking Northampton was associated with shoe making in the 15th century, but the trade was established in the county as early as 1202 with references to Peter the Cordwainer. It wasn't until 1838 that the first machine based factory was founded in Northampton by Moses Philip Manfield, who later went on to become the Mayor of the town.

The reputation for fine shoes produced in Northampton does not just refer to design, it is the quality in craftsmanship and materials used. 64 stitches to the inch was in reference to the the detail and painstaking quality that went into each pair of shoes. Northampton also supplied most of the shoes to the British Armed Forces for the 20th century World Wars. Today Northampton is still regarded as the place to go for fine English shoes and can be seen in films such as the James Bond franchise and the Da Vinci Code.

Northampton can be
seen highlighted on this

map of England.

TWITTER PROMOTION

In connection with our 100th 'tweet' on twitter.com we are offering an exclusive online promotion to our twitter followers between the dates 11/7/11 and 15/7/11. You will be entitled to a 10% discount on a pair of full price men's shoes from our online store at edwardsofmanchester.co.uk

To take advantage of this promotion you must;

1. Be a new/existing follower of edwardsshoes on twitter.com






2. Purchase a pair of full price men's shoes from edwardsofmanchester.co.uk between 11/7/11 and 15/7/11






3. Quote 'TWEET100' in an accompanying email to your purchase to info@edwardsofmanchester.co.uk

If you were unlucky enough to miss out on this promotion, not to worry, Edwards of Manchester are pleased to inform you that exclusive promotions will continue to be made available to our blog and twitter.com followers.

BRANDS

As mentioned previously, Edwards of Manchester is a luxury shoe store with a focus on traditional English brands. We will delve into more information about each specific brand through future posts but again just to whet your appetite for what you can expect, here is a list of the English brands we currently stock. Please note this may vary at any given time.

LOAKE

GRENSON

BARKER

CHEANEY

CROCKETT & JONES

CHURCH'S

EDWARD GREEN

GAZIANO GIRLING

OUR STORE

The World, and Manchester along with it has changed somewhat since 1830, so it is no suprise that our store has altered in appearance too, as you can see in the images provided.

As the store looks today still standing firm on its original site.

Seen here on the right hand side of the image.
Sign reads:

'JOHN EDWARDS & SON LTD

FINE FOOTWEAR SINCE 1830'

Edwards of Manchester can be seen here in the bottom left hand corner.

WELCOME TO THE EDWARDS OF MANCHESTER BLOG

Welcome to the first installment of the Edwards of Manchester Blog. For those of you who are not familiar with us, we are a luxury shoe store found in Manchester's Barton Arcade on Deansgate. We specialise in fine footwear with a focus on traditional English brands such as; Church's, Crockett & Jones, Cheaney and Barker as well as many more which will feature in these pages over time. By following this blog you will be open to a variety of information on brands, shoe care, shoe construction, subject terminology, fashion and trends (both current and past), as well as insight into our store and staff. We welcome your comments and queries and hope you enjoy reading our weekly posts.