BEHIND THE BRAND: church's brogues

Brogues were originally developed in Scotland, with their characteristic perforations allowing water to drain out of the shoes after walking on wet Highland bogs. These days the style is favoured more for aesthetics than practicality, although brogues are still ideal for wearing in the countryside because of their durability

Each pair of shoes are handmade in a process that can take up to eight weeks, and entails more than 250 manual operations. The brogues are fully leather lined, and have leather soles with rubber heels. The laces pass through eyelets that are reinforced with metal rings, while the leather is hand-polished

Church's has been manufacturing in Northampton since 1873, with traditional methods still employed by the craftsmen, many of whom work at the factory for life. Church's was acquired by the Prada Group in 1999, ensuring that the brand's heritage and high standards of production have been retained

In common with all fine English shoes, the Goodyear welting method of connecting the top of the shoe to the inseam and leather sole has been used. The sole and the upper are stitched on to a 'welt', a strip of hand-cut leather, which is then in turn stitched on to the bottom of the shoes in the early stages of manufacture

Regardless of where they were purchased, a pair of Church's shoes can be returned to the manufacturer for repairs or for a 'refurbishment', in which the same diligence and high-quality materials employed in the original manufacturing process are used. With proper care, a pair of Church's shoes can last a lifetime