Loake Brothers Ltd is a British shoemaker founded in 1880. It is family-owned and headquartered in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It specialises in men's handmade Goodyear-welted shoes.
History
Founding and early history
Loake was founded by the brothers John, Thomas and William Loake in 1880 in an outbuilding at Thomas's house at 62 King Street, Kettering.[1] Northamptonshire is the centre of the English shoemaking industry. In 1894 the brothers built a new factory and moved to Wood Street, where it can still be found today. The factory was initially named the Unique Boot Factory. It has a floor area of approximately 20,000 sq ft and accommodates over 300 workers. It was considered one of the finest and most advanced shoe factories in the country, at the time. The factory is split into three parts: bottom stock (soles), the making room, where the shoes are finished, and a warehouse.
World Wars
During the First World War Loake contributed to the war effort with the manufacture of Terrain boots, Convalescent boots and Despatch Riders boots for the