Tricker's

R.E. Tricker Ltd, which trades as Tricker's, is a British footwear company established in 1829 by Joseph Tricker in Northampton.[1]

Products and history

Tricker's produces men's and women's shoes and boots, as well as leather accessories such as belts and wallets.[1] It is best known for its heavy country boots and shoes,[2] and was one of several Northampton-based companies identified as having survived the downturn in British shoemaking between the 1970s and 2000s and "carved out a niche for themselves at the top end of the international shoe market" by The Telegraph in 2012.[3] The company was granted a royal warrant in 1989.[4][5]

Tricker's factory in Northampton is a Grade II listed building.[6] Much of the film Kinky Boots was filmed in the factory.[7]

As of 2019, Tricker's operated several shops in the UK as well as a single store in Tokyo. A BBC story reported that 80 per cent of the company's sales were overseas, and it was considering opening other shops in South Korea and the United States.[4]

Tricker's closed its factory and shops in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time the firm had stopped producing shoes since it was established.[8] The closure of the factory was necessary on health grounds, as it was not practical for staff to practice social distancing in it.[9] Tricker's received a funding facility from its bank in May that year to enable it to be able to rapidly resume operations.[10]

In 2021 Tricker's employed 86 workers in its factory who typically produced 1,000 pairs of shoes weekly.[11]

During 2023 and 2024 Tricker's revenue decreased and the firm made financial losses. James Fayed purchased a 71 percent stake in Tricker's in May 2025 through his holding company, Blu Heartknot UK. The Barltrop family, who were the long-term owners of the company, will continue to be involved in its management. Following the change in ownership, the company announced that it would focus on a direct to consumer business model and deprioritise wholesale customers. At this time, Tricker's had 79 employees.[12]