Crockett & Jones has laid the groundwork for men’s footwear for 145 years, inspiring shoemakers across the globe since its inception in 1879.
The brand has always maintained the highest level of quality and craftsmanship from heel to toe – and is revered for upholding traditional techniques alongside a meticulous attention to detail.
So when the designer Ralph Lauren was looking to craft a shoe for a specific type of customer in the late 1980s, it should come as no surprise he turned to the storied British shoemaker for help.
Who was this customer? He was the kind of man who wanted a more casual, weekend shoe for his regular breaks to the Hamptons. He wasn’t looking for another polished oxford like the pair he wore to the office from Monday to Friday, but something a little more rugged and casual. He wasn’t a sneakers guy – but still wanted a kind of ‘social shoe’ that would require little TLC, while at the same time remaining resilient whatever the weather.
Crockett & Jones’s solution? Rough-out suede.
“At the time, Ralph Lauren and his brother Jerry were building the collections themselves directly with their suppliers,” explains James Fox, head of marketing and e-commerce at Crockett & Jones. “This was driven by Ralph as the lead designer. As a younger man, Jonathan Jones [the company's current managing director and fourth generation of the Jones family] learnt a lot from Ralph’s keen eye and appreciation for detail – as well as his desire to source products from specialists in their field. In this instance, shoes and boots made by Crockett & Jones, in the home of English shoes, Northampton.”
Crockett & Jones already made collections for the American brand in calf and Shell Cordovan; rough-out suede soon joined the fold – with an inaugural collection of chukkas, derby boots and derby shoes.
So, what exactly is rough-out suede? It’s a wax-impregnated suede with a tight fibre structure, that’s extremely hard-wearing and takes on a unique character through wear. A fully waterproof leather, it’s made for exploring the great outdoors.
It quite literally ‘roughs’ up, producing larger folds as comfort levels increase with every use. In that sense, think of it as the selvedge denim of shoemaking.
“For a number of reasons, customer expectations from a pair of shoes is that they should be comfortable from the first wear,” explains Fox. “Rough-out suede is one of those materials that, after a few wears, really moulds to the shape of your foot. After a full season of wear, Rough-out’s character really comes out, and customers don’t take them off.”
Crockett & Jones Islay in green rough-out suede.
It was more than a decade after that development meeting with Ralph Lauren that Crockett & Jones introduced rough-out suede to its own retail offering in the early 2000s.
“We had to wait until our own retail stores were up and running, as at that time, the general wholesale business was still quite traditional,” explains Fox. “[Our own stores] gave us the opportunity to educate consumers on the benefits of the material, with a sales mantra that these were ‘social’ shoes for our growing customer base’s downtime. Hardwearing, comfortable shoes and boots that needed little care and attention that could be worn at the weekend, all year round. Winter is, of course, its main stomping ground as a waterproof leather.”
Last winter, Crockett & Jones released its iconic Islay boot in rough-out suede for the first time. The full brogue derby boot has seen plenty of action over the years, including helping Daniel Craig fight off Raoul Silva in 2012’s Skyfall. But its robust storm-welts and high leg design have perhaps never looked so at home as when paired with Crockett’s dark-brown rough-out.
For AW24, the Islay is now being offered in green rough-out, too – a fitting colourway for a boot that finds its roots firmly in field use. On that note, Crockett & Jones is now also producing the Cardigan brogue derby in natural rough-out, too. Both styles are lasted on the hearty 365 last which exudes a timeless English style.
Crockett & Jones Cardigan brogue derby in natural rough-out suede.
For more than a decade, there has been a shift towards more comfortable footwear – the pandemic accelerating this – and allowing the likes of rough-out suede to become de rigueur in any setting, including the office.
It’s fair to say that Crockett & Jones doesn’t set out to be a trendsetter, preferring style over fashion – “We don’t follow fads,” confirms Fox. But in pioneering rough-out suede, it changed the shoemaking landscape for good – and for the better.
For more information, see crockettandjones.com
