
With all the interest in heritage brands and sneakers these days, I’m surprised there aren’t more articles about Norman Walsh. They’re the last British-owned sneaker company still producing in the UK. I recently picked up a pair of their blue and white Ensign running shoes. Originally designed for the Bolton Harriers to compete in the 1981 New York Marathon, they have that retro runner feel I’ve been enjoying so much (aka NarcDad shoes, for those who remember).
Like the Harrier club, Norman Walsh is located in Bolton, which used to be a large textile production center before Britain lost most of its cotton industry. It’s also the birthplace of running shoes. Back in the 1890s, the town’s J.W. Foster & Sons (which would later become Reebok) developed the style by stripping away cricket shoes to make them more agile, and then adding spikes for traction. Norman Walsh himself served as an apprentice here before starting his own label in 1961.
Fifty-five years later, his company remains. Their shoes are much beloved by British trail and fell runners – the latter being a term for people who race up hills (which, to be honest, sounds like a sport invented by a couple of fun-loving, drunk Brits). Along with athletic shoes, they also have a range of casual styles for people who like to wear their runners off the trails.
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