Bodileys of Northampton

Bodileys of Northampton History

Bodiley’s of Northampton is a renowned name in the world of English shoemaking, distinguished by a rich heritage and a century-long family ownership.

The story of Bodiley’s began in 1919 when Mr W.G. Bodiley established the first shoe shop in Northampton. His son, Roland Bodiley, joined the family business a year later, and together, they expanded the enterprise by procuring unique shoes made in local workshops and providing personalized customer service.

Uncle Bod and his wife Edna were always present on the premises to ensure that customers were fitted with shoes that met their requirements. Bodiley’s was transformed from a brick-and-mortar retailer to an online store in the 1990s by John Steadman, Sarah Dudley’s father-in-law, who also brought the brand’s fine English shoes to a global audience.

Today, Sarah Dudley, a third-generation shoemaker, is the owner of the company and has added her own touch to the business while continuing to uphold the values that have kept the Bodiley’s name alive for over four generations. The London Collection, a collaboration between Bodiley’s and John Garner, an English shoemaking legend, was launched in 2012 and included formal and semi-formal town shoes that embodied a classic style with contemporary sensibilities.

The Mayfair Collection, launched in 2017, was the brand’s highest specification shoes to date, made from top-quality full-grain calfskin, aniline-dyed for maximum softness, durability, and a natural-looking finish. These collections exemplify the values that have kept Bodiley’s thriving, namely quality, service, understatement, and reliability, which Sarah Dudley plans to carry forward into the future.

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