{"id":3619,"date":"2018-10-25T13:32:39","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T13:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/northamptons-first-new-shoe-factory-in-decades-to-open\/"},"modified":"2018-10-25T13:32:39","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T13:32:39","slug":"northamptons-first-new-shoe-factory-in-decades-to-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/northamptons-first-new-shoe-factory-in-decades-to-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Northampton’s first new shoe factory in decades to open"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Foster<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
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\n The UK makes six million pairs of shoes each year, with almost half of that number exported
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A town renowned for its shoemaking heritage has gained its first new footwear factory in more than 30 years. <\/p>\n

London-based Foster and Son, which has been making shoes since 1840, opened a new production site in Northampton on Thursday, creating up to 20 jobs.<\/p>\n

The town’s shoe industry dates back to the 15th Century but had faced pressure from cheaper overseas labour.<\/p>\n

Foster and Son’s chairman, Richard Edgecliffe-Johnson, said the town had “the best” shoemaking craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

“There is a lot of pressure on the industry from cheaper overseas labour but Northampton has an international reputation for shoemaking,” he said.<\/p>\n

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Image caption<\/span>
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\n Northampton was one of the most important shoemaking towns in the early 1900s
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The Northampton operation of the company, on the St James Mill Industrial Estate, has eight employees but that is expected to grow to up to 20 in the next year. <\/p>\n

The firm currently has a single store on Jermyn Street in London.<\/p>\n

John Saunders, chief executive of the British Footwear Association, said: “It’s a vote of confidence in not only high-end footwear but in Northampton as, until now, the company has had its workshops in London.<\/p>\n

“It’s a recognition of the skills available in the town and its international reputation for quality, as this is a very high-end product.”<\/p>\n

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Image caption<\/span>
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\n Foster and Son is the first new footwear factory in the town in more than 30 years
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The UK makes six million pairs of shoes each year, with almost half of that number exported.<\/p>\n

Northamptonshire, where more than 20 shoemakers are based, is seen as the heart of the UK shoe industry, which employs 4,000 people.<\/p>\n

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Northamptonshire and shoes<\/h2>\n
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Image copyright<\/span>
\n Northampton Museum and Art Gallery<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image caption<\/span>
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\n Northampton Museum and Art Gallery has about 12,000 shoes in its archive
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\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n