Falkner’s was a family business that lasted for almost 150 years, based in the same building which is now Joules on the High Street. Much of their workshop stayed the same for generations, and it became a piece of living history.

Harris Falkner set up the business in the Sheep Market (now The Square) in the 1840s. His son William moved it to the High Street in 1876. It remained in this part of town until 1987 when the workshop was carefully dismantled and brought to the new Harborough Museum.

Bespoke shoes

Falkner made many different kinds of style of boots and shoes, ranging from hunting boots to velvet slippers. Their work was bespoke which meant that each pair of shoes was carefully made to fit a customer’s feet.

Wooden blocks (lasts) in the workshop came in all shapes and sizes, reflecting the customer’s foot shape and also the style of the shoes and height of the heel. These are the individual shapes of the feet of some of Falkner’s final customers. On some of these lasts you can see where they were altered to reflect changes to the customer’s feet, such as the growth of a corn.

To find out more about Falkner’s boot and shoe workshop, you can download The Falkner app.

Naseby 1645 Race

If you want to explore Harborough and get your running shoes on, take a look at the Naseby 1645 race. This will take place on Sunday 18th February, starting in Naseby. It is quite a good run, at 16 miles long, and if you want to find out more, visit the Naseby 1645 website.