This year the British brand Barker celebrates 140 years of shoemaking, and they do it with a new anniversary capsule collection where they’ve revisited their archives and brought back some old designs, paired with more modern Dainite rubber soles.
Earls Barton is a small village east of Northampton, and 140 years ago the brand Barker started to manufacture shoes here. They are still present in the village, and are one of the ten major Northamptonshire factories for Goodyear welted shoes. For this anniversary the Barker design team revisited the archives at their Earls Barton factory to reinterpret historic shoe designs with updated materials including the use of British Dainite rubber soles.
All models are made in the embossed alpine grain leather, either in black or burgundy, and have olive green Dainite soles.
The Barker of Earls Barton collection, which was launched today, has its styles named after streets located in Earl Barton in honour of the Northamptonshire village shoemaking history. Focused on casual models, the range includes the full brogue Station, the plain toe derby Berry, the wingtip boot Knights, Milbury which is a split toe derby, and then a penny loafer called Mears. All available in black and burgundy alpine grain, with olive green Dainite soles, on either the 10 or 460 Barker lasts. Price starts at €360. The range is available to pre-order now from Barker or A Fine Pair of Shoes.
Full brogue. Pictures: Barker
Plain toe derby in burgundy, on the 460 last. Picture: A Fine Pair of Shoes
