Gaziano & Girling ⭐ Top pick

Tony Gaziano spent decades in the Northampton shoe industry, notably at Alfred Sargent and Edward Green, before partnering with Dean Girling in 2006. Their ambition: to create the best possible English shoe, without compromise. The Kettering manufacture employs ~20 craftsmen under direct supervision of the founders, combining over 100 years of experience. More than half are bespoke craftsmen working on the benchmade line. French/Swiss calfs finished in Italy, English oak bark soles tanned 12 months in Roman pits in Devon. Barbour™ thread, Goodyear welt construction with signature beveled fiddle-back waist.

Tony Gaziano entered the Northampton shoe industry as an apprentice. He spent years at Alfred Sargent and then Edward Green, two reference names in English shoemaking. At Edward Green, he reached the position of production director. He mastered every stage, every machine, and every technique. He knew exactly what was possible and what no one else was doing.

Dean Girling came from the same world, a bespoke craftsman trained in Northampton workshops. Together, they shared a frustration: English benchmade shoes (mass-produced on benches) never reached the level of bespoke (made-to-measure). The two worlds were separated by a wall. On one side, large houses (Church's, Crockett & Jones, Edward Green) produced excellent but industrial shoes. On the other, bespoke makers from Savile Row and St James's created perfect custom footwear at £3,000-£5,000 per pair.

In 2006, Gaziano and Girling established their workshop in Kettering, Northamptonshire, a few miles from the large factories. Their bet: applying bespoke techniques to benchmade production. This meant employing skilled bespoke artisans on a production line rather than factory workers.

The factory employs approximately 20 artisans. More than half are trained bespoke shoemakers. This is unique in the industry: no other benchmade factory in the world can claim such a ratio. Tony and Dean personally supervise every pair.

The key technical innovation is the English oak bark soles. The sole leather is tanned for 12 months in Roman pits in Devon, a vegetable tanning technique dating back to antiquity that produces very dense, resistant, and flexible leather for soles. Traditionally, only Savile Row bespoke makers used this material (too expensive and slow for the industry). Gaziano & Girling is the only benchmade factory in the world to use it across its entire production.

The chisel toe, an elongated and slightly beveled point, became the brand's visual signature. This design feature redefined the aesthetic of contemporary English shoes. Before G&G, the English toe was round (Edward Green) or slightly pointed (John Lobb). Gaziano's chisel toe is longer, more architectural, and more modern without losing classic elegance. It has since been copied by the entire industry.

Leathers are sourced from top-tier tanneries: Annonay calves (France), Ilcea box calf (Italy), and Weinheimer (Germany). Colors are developed in-house, featuring exclusive museum calf patinas sought by collectors. The thread is Barbour™, and the construction is Goodyear welt with a beveled fiddle-back waist (the violin-shaped, beveled arch that gives the shoe its distinctive line from below).

The verdict from connoisseurs is clear: Gaziano & Girling is considered the best RTW/MTO manufacturer in the world today. Some observers note that G&G's MTO shoes approach bespoke in terms of construction, although they do not offer the same level of custom fit.

The Royal Warrant crowned what everyone already knew. In less than twenty years, two Northampton craftsmen disrupted a three-century-old industry.

Prices reflect the positioning: £1,200 to £1,800 for benchmade/MTO, and £3,000 to £5,000 for bespoke. While more expensive than Crockett & Jones or Edward Green, the community consensus is clear: the quality justifies the price gap.