Further to my hand-made boot fetish...

[Oren]

NPS is an independent manufacturer of footwear in Northamptonshire, England - http://www.nps-solovair.co.uk/

One of the original makers of Doc Martens boots, they encountered financial difficulties as many shoe companies moved their manufacturing to Asia. The employees pooled their resources and bought the business, continuing to build quality leather footwear, until finding themselves unable to expand the facility at a rate that would meet the demand for their product. A local family agreed to purchase the business and buildings, and proceeded to invest in more equipment and expanded floor space.

They now make boots and shoes for many other companies, and still market their own brand.

Just my cup of tea: handmade boots crafted by local folks in a healthy environment, making a fair wage. I love the opportunity to support this kind of endeavour...

[MarioD]

These are the types of companies that we look for also!  We also look for made in the USA or made in Canada on the labels.  Any food or personal (toothpaste etc) products from China or Mexico we refuse to buy!

[folderol]

I bought a pair of hand-made walking boots sometime in 1993 - they finally gave up a couple of years ago.

[elwoodblues1969]

I jumped on the whole Doc Marten fashion bandwagon 23 years ago,but the boots I had,wore like a pair of metal buckets and since then,I was never a fan of boots in general.

Now in particular...being disabled,ergonomic footwear is paramount to me,because if I wore those same boots,I'd fall on my face & develop some severe blisters...after just one day of use.

[Oren]

Mario - Good on ya! I believe in the idea that "money talks and bullshit walks", meaning how we spend our hard-earned cash affects our world at a fundamental level

Will - 18 years is a long life for well-worn hiking boots! Handmade footwear also has the advantage of being "re-buildable"; new soles, new stitching, and fresh leather where necessary. Strangely, our little city has three shoe repair shops in the downtown area...

Thom - I know what you mean. Boots can take a long time to break in, and tend to be heavy. I look far and wide when selecting the right pair of boots, and break them in gradually... but it's a chore, indeed!

[folderol]

I tried to look after them properly! Also, I walk mostly on soft ground so the soles actually had very little wear. However, what finally did for them was a particularly wet winter (of which we seem to have a lot lately) and walking along a footpath across chalk hills that sloped to the side. Wet chalk is viciously slippery and I was sliding all over the place. Finally I went right over, almost breaking my ankle at the same time, and one of the boots split at the welt. The stitching had held. It was the leather itself that tore, so there was no practical way to repair to that!

[Oren]

one of the boots split at the welt. The stitching had held. It was the leather itself that tore, so there was no practical way to repair to that!

Yup - those puppies were toast!