Thank you for looking at my listing today.

I’m delighted to present for your review a pair of brand new, unworn, box-fresh Joseph Cheaney 'Hill' Goodyear Welted, Luxury Oxford Brogue Shoes in the Finest Calf Leather. These retail at over £320.00, They're a size 11 Standard F Fitting in a stunning Steel Blue colour with exquisite punch detailing on the toe cap, together with a Goodyear Welted Vibram Sole & Vibram Rubber heel. This one off last was created as a limited edition and has now been discontinued, so this listing represents a significant investment opportunity.

Presented in their original box together with a pair of genuine Cheaney cloth shoe protectors They’re an absolutely stunning pair of the finest English hand-made shoes. Pictures don't really do these justice, you really need to touch, feel and smell shoes like these to appreciate the true substance, presence and beauty that you're investing in.

If you're familiar with the Joseph Cheaney & Sons range you will know that their fastidious quality control process borders on the obsessive and is acknowledged within the industry as being just about as strenuous as it gets. This attention to detail when combined with the quality of the shoes that Cheaney's hand-make in their Northampton Factory really sets the benchmark amongst other shoe manufacturers and it’s easy to understand why as they have been doing this since 1886 and are revered across the world for their shoemaking craft. To provide more information on the Barker brand / range I have put together the below brief overview of the brand / it's history. 

Thank you for your time, and If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me and it will be my pleasure to assist you, also please do consider adding me to your 'following' list, I'm always having interesting examples of the finest, hand-made in England shoes coming into stock, I don't involve myself in anything else, this particular niche is my hobby and passion so please do consider keeping in contact, and do take some time to study the feedback I receive / leave for others as this provides a very clear example of my values and also the customer experience that I endeavour to provide.

Avoiding a Bad Customer Experience

If you decide to purchase an item from me or indeed anyone else, Please do ensure that you take the time to study all the pictures on this or any listing carefully and that you also take the necessary steps to fully understand the Brand / Size / Width fitting that you're purchasing, its often a good idea to perhaps try a similar pair on in a retail outlet (if you're able) as whilst most top end shoe makers are 'reasonably' consistent in their sizing / width fittings, there is always a certain amount of tolerance that they're legally able to work within, for example a size 8 in a Jeffery West Wing Gibson Shoe will typically be a lot more 'roomier' than a Loake Shoemaker Plain Tie size 8 & whilst both may be a standard 'F' width fitting, the Loake may be slightly wider, and then you have to factor in that we're all on different points within the sizing / width spectrum. so if you're in any way unsure, please do feel free to contact me before you purchase, and my advice will typically be to advise you not to go ahead and buy them!! which may strike you as odd, but that is almost always my position.  Purchasing wonderful, hand-made shoes should be exciting and fun, not stressful or worrying so if you have a niggling concern, don't buy them as there are always going to be other opportunities!!

I spend a lot of time in doing the absolute best that I can in presenting shoes as accurately as possible both in the pictures that are listed and also in their description, but if you want to be 100% sure, the best thing is to NOT purchase from e-bay and to shop directly with the manufacturer either in one of their stores / websites or perhaps a high end boutique store concession, the downside is that you will typically pay 40-50-60% more for the same shoe (if it's even available), but you will be removing the risk of not having tried the shoes on before you purchase, so please do make the time to fully understand what you're buying. 

On many occasions I've had to work extremely hard in convincing  some of my most loyal clients who these days I would now more accurately describe as friends, to NOT buy an item as a result of them being unsure about the style or fit and this will always be my approach, there are some wonderful opportunities to grab some real bargains on e-bay from some genuinely honest, decent sellers but its only a bargain if you're going to be able to wear and enjoy them, so please do take the appropriate level of consideration before you hit the purchase button.

 Joseph Cheaney, About the Brand

Joseph Cheaney had been the factory manager of B. Riley, but in 1886 established J. Cheaney, Boot & Shoemakers in a small premises in Station Road, Desborough. At the time, many people were engaged in the making of shoes, but rather than carrying out the whole operation, they would specialize in a part of the process. This would typically be done in outhouses, known as shops, at the bottom of their gardens. At each stage of the making process, the shoe would move to a different ‘shop’ until the end product would go a collection point for distribution, which was facilitated by the burgeoning road and rail network. Before this, a local shoemaker would only supply customers in his immediate vicinity.

There were about seven shoe factories in Desborough at this time, and in 1890, Arthur Cheaney joined his father’s company. In 1896, the business moved to the site it still occupies today in a purpose built factory to house all aspects of shoemaking, from the cutting out of the leather (clicking) to the final polishing. Although some manufacturers now outsource the initial production of the uppers to the Far East, Cheaney shoes are still cut out and ‘closed’ in Desborough, Northamptonshire as they have been since 1886.

Joseph Cheaney

Joseph Cheaney was a prominent local character, being a local councilor and also had involvement in the Church. He was interested in the welfare of local children, and it appears that he used to keep them supplied with oranges.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Harold Cheaney joined his father and brother in the business, which led to the company name changing to J. Cheaney & Sons in 1903. It became a limited company in 1920, with a paid up share capital of £40,000, which was substantial for the time.

There are a couple of amusing anecdotes concerning the independent nature of the workforce in the early part of the 20th century. Desborough shoemakers took a lively interest in the local hunt and requested permission to go and watch the spectacle. This was refused, but the workforce went anyway, thus finishing production for the day! On another occasion, a sales representative for a last manufacturer came to demonstrate a more efficient way of handling lasts (the three dimensional form on which shoes are made). The workforce took exception to having their working practices criticized and promptly threw the salesman in the local duck pond, thus incurring each of them a £5 fine for their trouble! At that time Cheaney had a 54 hour working week spread over five and a half days.

War Years

The factory was kept very busy in the First World War, producing about 2500 pairs per week of stitched and screwed boots and shoes. Building on this success, the company continued to flourish, even through the lean post-war years and the global depression of the 1930s. Production was modernized, whilst retaining the same handcrafting methods and the distribution base was broadened to include the major conurbations of the United Kingdom. Very few shoes were exported at this time.

Joseph Humphrey (usually known as “Dick”) Cheaney, the grandson of the founder, joined the company in 1930 where he stayed until his retirement in 1981, except for a period in the Second World War when he served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force.

After the war, “Dick” Cheaney saw that it was vital to expand the company’s distribution into export markets, not only for the business but also for the United Kingdom, which desperately needed to earn foreign currency. He was also committed to continuing his father’s and grandfather’s policy of maintaining high quality standards in terms of manufacture and materials. This contributed to Cheaney’s growing reputation as a shoemaker that continues to this very day.