Norman Walsh – Sports Footwear

British trainer designer Norman Walsh is steeped in British History, created in 1961 by Norman Walsh and the Foster brothers. The brand still produces the product straight out of their Bolton factory using traditional and hand-made techniques. One of a few brands that still can call themselves Made in England, which is becoming rarer and rarer in todays modern climate.

The brand has worked with breadth of luxury brands such as, Barbour, Paul Smith, Fred Perry and Sunspel to name a few. Most notably partnering with Marks & Spencer for part of their ‘Best of British’ collection. In 2016 they released the ‘Craftsman Project’ using traditional and influential materials as a testimonial to British craftsmanship.

I had the pleasure of working with the brand to help understand their history and their current offerings. I was fortunate enough to design my own colorway with the brand, a collaborative effort which enabled me to put my own spin on such an iconic running shoe. This led to me visiting the factory and seeing my shoe being made. 

My shoe is based on the Tornado silhouette which was developed in 1983 and used in the 83 London Marathon. I went for a full suede upper with two shades of burgundy paired with petrol green and beige details. The team sourced fabrics as close as possible to my original sketch, providing photos of swatches and materials. The final result is a luxury interpretation of a classic which honors the traditional techniques.

As you can see from the photos, the attention to detail is paramount and the brand really takes care of every shoe in the production line. The team live and breathe the brand and are extremely passionate about the products history. This is the main reason you buy Norman Walsh, the craftsman make the brand what it is. The shoes have personality like no other and worth investing in.

Explore the brand further here.
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