Jones Bootmaker heritage

1857

In 1857 Alfred and Emma Jones opened a footwear shop in Bayswater, London. Working conditions were tough and the hours were long.

Alfred and Emma were parents to eleven sons and three daughters, who were raised with an equal passion for shoemaking. Nine of the eleven sons were apprenticed into the trade where each went on to open their own stores trading under the name A. Jones & Sons.

The Joneses were a large, innovative family and the first traders to install electric lighting into their shops.

These nine stores paved the way for the footwear industry by introducing stocks of ready-made shoes available in three different widths, initiating a new tradition in shoe-fitting that is used across the globe to this day.

WWII

The second World War saw a mass production of standard issue army boots that flooded the nation and Britain emerged victorious from the rubble of the Blitz.

Following the Second World War, Jones Bootmaker continued to grow into the extraordinary post war era, with an innovative spirit remaining firmly at the core of the business. Rationing was quickly diminishing and the fashion industry was booming at an astonishing rate, the nation had an appetite for refreshing, contemporary style.

A. Jones & Sons continued its long standing reputation of delivering exquisite craftsmanship and quality into every product they sold.

1955

By 1955 the number of shops had outgrown the factory’s production capacity and the company joined Church & Co where the brand mark of ‘Jones Bootmaker since 1857’ was created.

During this time Jones Bootmaker was deeply honoured to receive a visit from HRH Queen Elizabeth II, a monarch who has consistently redefined sovereign style through the years.

1994

In 1994 the first new 'City Bootmaker' shop was opened in Kings Street, Manchester, and in 1996 it became known as 'Jones Bootmaker'.