Even though I’d never owned a pair myself, I have a long history with desert boots. I remember my father wearing them during my childhood in the 1970’s. Back then I wasn’t much interested in anything but a track shoe that could “make me run fast" but dad would always talk about how comfortable they were. I remember him brushing his boots with a suede brush to keep them looking nice and new.
Fast forward to the previous decade when my favorite celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain was dominating the airwaves. He often talked about how desert boots were his favorite “go-to” shoe when traveling because they could take a beating, were versatile, and were so easy to take off and on. I lived vicariously through Tony’s show No Reservations long before I ever dreamed of having the opportunity to do any kind of proper overseas traveling myself.
For years I’d had the tiny seed of an idea in the back of my head that I wanted to get a pair of desert boots for myself but when you get into the practice of investing in high quality hand-made things there’s one problem—which, I suppose, is really the opposite of a problem.
Handcrafted things never tend to wear out and if they do they can be repaired. That was the particular conundrum I found myself in. I had acquired a few pairs of Redwing boots (Beckmans and Iron Rangers) in the 2010’s that still look nearly new and I couldn’t justify buying another pair. These Redwing boots fit like a glove and are like old, trusted companions. These boots have tread ancient cobblestone streets of Europe, had been all over New York City, the desert southwest, and just about everywhere in between. I’ve also cursed them hundreds of times—sweating as I held up TSA lines at the airport while trying to take them off my feet.
One night this past May we were watching YouTube and stumbled on a channel that was talking about how a sneaker made by a small, English shoe company called, “Crown Northampton”. This particular shoe, their Adnitt Gat model had achieved cult status in Japan being nicknamed, marshmallow shoes because of their comfort.
Well, as it often does, YouTube sent me down a deep rabbithole. After perusing their website I discovered Crown Northampton also made desert boots. These weren’t just any boots, they were like the epitome of desert boots. After reading all about the company’s incredible backstory, how each pair of shoes they sell are meticulously hand made using the finest materials, and sorting out the differences between the UK and American sizing I smashed that Add To Cart button. Then came the wait.
Unless you purchase stock footwear that’s ready-made from Crown you have to wait for the cobblers to actually make your shoes—and wait I did, almost all summer. I got nice, occasional, updates from the company throughout June and July about how the process was coming along.
My Woodford Desert Boots, in Sand Kudu Suede, were at long last, delivered two days ago. I’m looking forward to putting some serious miles on these bad boys in the years to come.
Out of the box they boots have exceeded all expectations. The leather is butter soft, the softest I’ve ever felt in my life. The company even included a nice keychain, an extra set of laces, and cloth bags for storage and travel. Crown Northampton's customer service experience was also stellar at every touch point, a true rarity in our post-Covid world. Pure class.
You see, when you invest in high-quality goods you aren’t just buying a product, you’re buying a story, and you’re helping to perpetuate a way of life that never should have been made rare in the first place. It’s a win-win-win-win. These long lasting products bring the wearer immense joy, oftentimes last for decades (so they’re cheaper in the long run), help talented craftspeople support their families and continue doing what they love, and keep untold amounts of disposable shoes out of landfills.
It's often said you can feel the love a caring chef puts into a good meal while you eat it. Well, to me, when you hold these boots in your hand and slip them on it's as though you can feel the immense pride the cobbler put into these shoes while making them.
If you’re looking for footwear that will cause you to instantly reevaluate what you’ve been thinking all those years by wearing shoes you have to throw away in a year or less look no further than Crown Northampton. I don’t have one single reservation in recommending them.
All for now. Thanks for reading.
