The old venerable brand Wildsmith went to the tomb in the early 2000, but was revived again under among others Chay Cooper’s wings in 2013. When he was recruited to Crockett & Jones the other year Wildsmith once again went dormant, until now, when the famous British online store Herring Shoes takes over the ownership.


Wildsmith is a manufacturer that was highly recognized in the first half of the 1900’s, and made really nice bespoke and RTW shoes. Towards the end of the century, however, it was another story, overpriced re-branded Crockett & Jones’ shoes were all that remained, and in the early 2000’s, the brand was laid to rest. Then in 2013 it was re-launched again by Chay Cooper who had played a vital role in the successful revamp of Alfred Sargent, together with the men behindthe successful tailoring house Cad and the Dandy. John Wilsdmith, fifth generation of the founding family, which sold the name to Cooper and co., was still involved, and was a member of the board. The new shoes which were made by Alfred Sargent was priced just over €300, was good quality for the price, and had lasts and models that many appreciated. But a while ago Chay Cooper was offered a job at Crockett & Jones that he couldn’t say no to, and since then the brand has been on the low again.

Nice single monk which was released in 2013.

So, at the end of last year, Herring Shoes took over the ownership of the brand. Those of you who are visiting the online store often perhaps have noticed that the old Wildsmith models are on sale on the site, but it’s not just buying up the old warehouse that’s been done, they now own the brand and will soon launch a new collection of Wildsmith shoes. It’s not known exactly how this will look like, except that they will be made in England, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if it will be some sort a continuation of what the Chay years did at Alfred Sargent, since Herring Shoes for a long time have had a good cooperation with the factory.

Another single monk model, however, a bit more daring one. Pictures: Wildsmith