Harlestone

Model

About

The Harlestone is a handmade derby sneaker produced by Crown Northampton in Northampton, England. Launched in 2020 as part of the Hand Stitch collection, the shoe features open-faced lacing and traditional shoemaking construction applied to a minimal sneaker silhouette. The Harlestone is named after Harlestone Firs Forest, following Crown Northampton's practice of using local Northampton place names for product designations.

The design draws inspiration from Andrew Woodford's hand-stitched moccasin work from the 1970s and 1980s. Custom lasts were created in partnership with Spring Line specifically for the model. The Harlestone has become one of Crown Northampton's bestselling styles and has been described by YouTube channel Rose Anvil as the "highest quality sneaker in the world."

History and design

Crown Northampton created the Hand Stitch collection in 2020 as a premium sneaker line combining clean, minimal aesthetics with luxury construction techniques. The Harlestone Derby represents the brand's approach of applying traditional dress shoe methods to modern sneaker production. The upper mirrors the look and finish of high-quality dress shoes while maintaining sneaker comfort and structure.

The silhouette sits between formal and casual styling, designed to pair with both everyday trousers and tailored suits. The design features no unnecessary branding or decorative elements, focusing on essential construction details that serve functional purposes.

Construction

Each pair is handmade in Crown Northampton's Northampton factory by skilled craftspeople using traditional methods. The sneaker features French binding along all outer seams and continuous French bound stitching around outer edges. Heavy hand-stitched double stitch detail appears on the front and rear of the upper, reinforcing pressure points.

Hand-stitched dog tail details and tabs replace machine stitching throughout the construction. The hand stitch finishing serves functional rather than decorative purposes, with thick, natural waxed cotton double stitch providing construction security and design character. This combination of classic shoemaking techniques results in a structure offering superior strength and longevity.

Materials

Leathers

Each pair uses premium leathers including Shell Cordovan, Horween Buffalo, Badalassi Box Calf, Scottish Deer Suede, Kudu, and Vegetable Tanned Baby Calf. Vegetable-tanned calf leather is available in off-white, black, and grey. Scottish deer suede comes in navy, black, and brown. Horween Buffalo leather is offered in ink, brown, black, grey, olive oil tan, and olive oil truffle.

Horween Shell Cordovan is available in No. 8, bourbon, black, and dark cognac. Badalassi Minerva Box leather comes in coral, mustard, olive, and teal. Naked Kudu is offered in nutmeg, chocolate truffle, snuff, and gaucho. Off-white vegetable-tanned calf develops character with use, naturally darkening through wear and marks. Horween buffalo leather features unique texture with different hide patterns on different parts of the shoe.

Internal components

Traditional oak bark leather is used for the counter and stiffener, sourced from British pit-tanner J&FJ Baker. Natural vegetable-tanned crust shoulder forms the foundations of the insole. The upper is topped with full natural vegetable-tanned calf leather lining throughout.

A non-removable three-millimeter vegetable-tanned side leather insole sits above a three-millimeter layer of memory foam. The base includes a layer of cork topped by oak bark-tanned insoles, heel counters, and toe puffs. Cork forms a solid filler down the full spine of the sneaker, providing movement to mold to the wearer's feet with benefits of comfort, stability, and breathable properties. With continued wear, the cork layer forms a personal imprint of the wearer's foot.

Soles

The sneaker is finished with Lactae Hevea soles made from virgin hevea milk harvested from the Cao Su tree. The sole unit consists of 100 percent sustainable natural latex from Lactae Hevea. Three sole finishes are available: off-white, black, and gum.

Customization

Standard F-fit sizing applies, with G-fit (wider) and E-fit (slimmer) options available as custom requests. Products are offered in UK sizes three through 14, with corresponding centimeter measurements from 23 to 31.8 centimeters.

The customization system offers 24 different leather upper options, 24 lengths each with three widths, and three outsole choices, creating 5,184 possible combinations. Break-in period varies by leather type, with deer leather requiring one to two wears and cordovan requiring six to 10 wears. Materials mold to individual foot shape over time.

Production

Crown Northampton holds zero stock and produces every pair made-to-order for each customer. This made-to-order production model ensures individual attention to each pair with no waste or excess stock. Lead time currently sits at nine to 12 weeks for standard orders. Shell cordovan orders are quoted at 45 days delivery, while non-shell models are quoted at 20 to 30 working days.

Sidewall construction allows for resoling. Crown Northampton offers a full resoling service that extends the life of the footwear. With proper care, the sneakers can last many years, and the high-quality uppers are designed to withstand multiple resolings. Leftover leather scraps are repurposed into accessories via the Off-Cuts Collection.

Standard versions retail at approximately $585. Shell Cordovan variants are priced around $1,086. Deluxe Care Pack bundles, which include maintenance products for premium materials, range from $1,306.