Sanders at English Brands

Sanders Shoes - From Tragedy to Triumph

Then something happened that turned everything good, bad.

One afternoon Mr. William Sanders was hosting a garden party for his workers when news came through that the factory was on fire.

The firm never found out how the fire started, but due to their factory mimicking the American factory layout of having wooden partitions, they knew the factory was going to be destroyed.

There was too much fuel for the fire to be put out in enough time to save the building.

A London newspaper estimated that the damage was within the region of £45,000.

The brothers were in a predicament and had a choice to make. Either they let this tragedy be the end of the business, or they do something about it. Just like the defiance and endurance of their shoes, the brothers set out to build a new factory, one that was bigger and better than its predecessor. As William Sanders put it, one that was his 'model factory'.

With fortitude and hard work the factory was built. It was a factory like no other, because it was the first of its time to conduct the whole manufacturing process under one roof. Nothing like this had happened before.

The factory, which is on Spencer Road in Rushden in Northamptonshire, is the home of the business to this day and the Sanders dynasty is now in its 4th generation. The brand is known for its quality footwear and English elegance and we're proud we can offer such a wide collection at our branch in the Mailbox. Check out the collection below.