Are John White shoes good quality?

Yes — John White has been making shoes since 1919 and built its reputation supplying footwear to the British armed forces in the Second World War. The shoes are built with proper leather uppers and a focus on fit, rather than being a fast-fashion add-on to a bigger brand.

Where are John White shoes made?

John White shoes are designed in Northamptonshire, England — the historic centre of British shoemaking — and produced by manufacturing partners rather than a single dedicated factory, following the brand's revival in 2000.

Where can I buy John White shoes in the UK?

Baks Menswear stocks John White shoes in-store in Westbourne, Bournemouth, and online with UK delivery.

What sizes do John White shoes come in?

John White shoes here typically run from UK size 6 to 12, with half sizes on most styles. Ask in-store if you'd like help finding the right fit.

How do I clean and care for John White leather shoes?

Wipe off dirt with a damp cloth, let the leather dry naturally away from direct heat, then apply a leather polish in a matching colour and buff to a shine. A shoe tree helps the leather hold its shape between wears.

John White Shoes

John White has been making men's shoes in Northamptonshire, England's traditional shoemaking county, since 1919. The brand supplied close to a tenth of British Army footwear during the Second World War and became one of Britain's biggest shoe exporters by the 1950s. At Baks Menswear in Bournemouth, we stock John White's formal shoes, brogues and Chelsea boots for both the office and the weekend.

We stock John White because it's a genuine piece of English shoemaking history. The brand nearly disappeared when its last factory closed in 1991, before being revived in 2000 under new ownership.

The range covers classic formal brogues and Oxfords, Chelsea boots, and more casual styles, in leathers built to take a polish and hold their shape. Sizes typically run from UK 6 to 12.

John White was founded in Northamptonshire in 1919 and grew into one of Britain's largest shoemakers, supplying boots to the armed forces and exporting hundreds of thousands of pairs to America. Shoes are still designed in Northamptonshire today, with production now shared with trusted manufacturing partners rather than a single English factory.

If you want a shoe with a hundred years of real history behind it, this is where to look.