yesterday I picked up my new boots from William Lennon and son. Well I picked them up from Libs, William Lennon’s great grand daughter actually. I am really pleased with them. They feel a perfect match for my made in Wales Hiut jeans. Both are stiff and tough and will take a while to wear in but will then give years of hard service. You can keep your mamby pamby stone washed super soft jeans and your disposable sweatshop made footwear. This outfit may cost more but it will last longer. Boots £150, jeans £120, I am willing to bet both with last 3-5 times longer than the disposable equivalents not least because I will care more about them and they will get repaired rather than thrown away at the first sign of wear. So in 5 years time I will have supported quite a few meaningful British jobs and avoided 3 pairs of cheap boots and jeans going to landfill.
You can see a tour of the workshops bootmakers here
I am no fashionista but I think they have a pleasingly retro look together, not far off from Ian Dury’s look on the iconic “New Boots and Panties” album cover
Hi Robin, great post and I agree with you 100% about the actual cost of theses boots, when we think about longevity. I once bought a pair of Dr. Martens back in 2001, when they were still made in England and have used them for so many years, the quality of the materials was impressive. I think they cost around 175$ CAD back then and it was the best footwear I have ever bought. Now you're convincing me to try the ones from Lennon and son, thanks.
Hello Robin, I'm glad to see the new boots. I've been wearing a pair of White's Smoke Jumpers for 5 years now. They are hand made in Spokane, Washington. They are one of the last American work boot makers. They cost $400 five years ago, and the are worth every penny. I would have gone through 3 pairs of lesser boots in that time. They are ready for a re-sole, so they will be visiting their birthplace soon.