Heritage Steps

A pair of worn leather shoes feels uniquely personal. Over months and years, the material softens to the contours of the foot, bearing the marks of travels close to home or far afield; the sole wears down with each step, eventually to be replaced by another. Such footwear rewards care and maintenance with comfort and resilience. These values sit at the heart of Solovair, a Northamptonshire shoemaker since 1881.

“We often say our footwear is a bit like a bicycle. When something breaks, you replace the part. You don't throw the bike away because the tyre is gone – just like the sole of a shoe,” reflects Ray Wilmoth, Wholesale Manager at Solovair. It’s a pragmatic philosophy that persists even in a brand renowned for its uncompromising craftsmanship; every pair of boots and loafers is born from a trusted manufacturing process carried out by a practised team.

At the Solovair factory in Wollaston, Ray explains the journey of each shoe: from the clicking room, where leather panels are cut, to the closing room, where the assembled forms begin to resemble footwear. Alison, who has worked in this closing room on and off since her teenage years, shapes and stitches the leather panels with seasoned ease. “Actually putting a shoe together involves so many processes,” she explains. “When Ray shows people around the factory, they always say, ‘Oh, you make it look so easy.’ But I don't even think about it anymore, I’ve been doing it for so long.”

Once her work is complete, Paul takes over and attaches the welt – a step he has performed for twenty-three years. Like Alison, he speaks of the almost meditative rhythm the craft demands. “If you're good with your hands, you can take yourself off to another place while you're doing the job. It comes naturally after a while.”

What has become second nature to Alison and Paul are skills the entire operation depends on. They and their colleagues speak about the focus and repetition that many would find monotonous. “Each element of shoemaking is incredibly repetitive,” says Ray. “It requires commitment, diligence, and attention to detail. As a factory, we run on very slim margins, and those margins can be made or lost at any point in the production process.” In this busy, well-oiled factory, shoemaking is less about speed than it is about patience and precision.

Production of Solovair shoes began in 1881. Originally a cooperative, it followed a long line of local shoemakers in an industry dating back to the thirteenth century. Known then as the Northamptonshire Productive Society (NPS), it opened its own purpose-built factory in 1899. Although the business has evolved to improve working conditions and efficiency, many of the original techniques remain intact today.

One of the brand’s defining attributes is its use of Goodyear welt construction, adopted soon after the factory’s opening. This method, carried out by Paul, involves securing a rubber welt strip to the shoe’s upper and insole, ensuring durability and comfort. “The benefit of Goodyear welted footwear is that it can be resoled many, many times. It's footwear that's made to last," says Ray. Traditionally, the sole and welt were simply stitched on, but midway through the twentieth century, Solovair began using heat to seal these parts and further extend the shoe’s lifespan.

Fittingly, Paul does the job in his own pair of Solovair Derby boots. “I’ve been wearing my black boots every day for about four years. They look a bit of a mess,” he laughs, “but they’re comfortable, and that’s what matters when you’re on your feet all day.” As both maker and wearer, Paul knows what most who walk in Solovair shoes do not: a hidden detail familiar to those who craft each pair. “When you look at the shoe from the outside, you see a cosmetic stitch – but that’s not what holds the welt together. The real strength comes from a hidden stitch.”

This season, they have created a pair of classic penny loafers in an exclusive colourway for our Autumn Winter 2025 collection. Made from smooth bovine leather and set on a sturdy treaded sole with a saddle strap across the vamp, the design embodies the brand’s heritage; it is built to weather passing trends and stand as a testament to enduring quality. “A product doesn’t need to be led by the seasons,” says Lee Fleming, Marketing Manager. “Much of our footwear can be worn year-round and styled accordingly.”

These loafers mark the latest chapter in the longstanding partnership between TOAST and Solovair. Drawn together by a mutual appreciation for traditional manufacturing 8 years ago, we have continued to include the brand's signature footwear in our collections ever since. “One of the things we appreciate about TOAST is the use of colour,” says Lee. “It takes the foundation of a Solovair product, but introduces a custom shade or leather finish.” This season’s collaboration arrives in black and a deep olive green, exclusive to us.

Weaving through whirring machines and focused workers sat at finishing stations, there’s a palpable sense of pride on the Solovair factory floor. It stems not only from respect for the exactness the craft demands, but also from the knowledge that each person plays a part in preserving a dwindling tradition. To make something in Britain is to keep alive a lineage of skill and workmanship. Yet today, there are only a handful of Goodyear welt manufacturers left in the UK. Even fifty years ago, the number of factories was in the hundreds.

“We’re really proud to be here,” says Ray. “But it comes with a lot of challenges and often feels quite fragile.” Many of the workforce are reaching retirement age, and with the exception of younger generations following in their parents’ footsteps, interest among local youth is waning. But Ray and his team are resolute in finding a sustainable path forward. “We’re committed to nurturing and fostering the shoemaking industry in Northamptonshire, and making sure it's still here in twenty, thirty years,” he affirms. “With the growth of Solovair, we can continue to invest in the factory, and continue to invest in young people, and continue to invest in keeping it our footwear British-made.

Discover our women’s and men’s Solovair Loafers.

To celebrate the latest collaboration in the longstanding partnership between TOAST and Solovair, we are offering you the change to win a pair of Solovair Loafers and £500 to spend at TOAST.

For the chance to win, please enter before 10pm (GMT) on Tue 11 November. Prize Draw Terms & Conditions apply.

Words by Bébhinn Campbell.

Photography by Marco Kesseler.