Nine out of 126 yearsThe HebTroCo boot maker
Here are some proper numbers for you. William Lennon and Co have been making boots for 126 years. Helen has been working there for 28 of those years and retired this week. Her skilled hands have worked on hundreds of pairs of our boots. Maybe she’s worked on a pair that you’re wearing now? On our trip down to the factory this week, we realised that Lennons are our longest standing supplier. HebTroCo has only been an idea for 10 years and for nine of those we’ve been getting our tough as hell, traditional British work boots from this factory in Stoney Middleton in the Derbyshire Dales.
I asked Dan, one of the Lennon family who works in the factory finishing boots, what’s new. “Well not a lot really” was his wry reply and exactly what I expected to hear. Timeless style is something that transcends fashion. It looks cool because it is cool and when you find something like this you are wise to stick with it. There are not a lot of places like William Lennon left, but the discerning customer is still out there, willing to wait and pay for what this hidden gem of a place produces.
Originally made for quarrymen the boots made at Lennon’s sold on being fit for the job and for longevity. The man of today might be doing different work but he still wants a tough pair of boots that will last. Luckily they look really good too.
Our HebTroCo boot range is going to look similar to that we’ve offered up to now, with just a change of sole here and there, some different eyelets or leather finish. Ultimately the song remains the same and our aim at HebTroCo is to make products that sell on quality and longevity not to change for the sake of it.
On this visit we ordered four new samples. Expect to see a new Vibram wedge soled boot, an all new version of the Moto Boot, perhaps a shoe and maybe a surprise fourth option.
Thanks for all your hard work Helen, we hope you enjoy spending more time and your garden and your new greenhouse. Like Odyssey the disco divas we’ll be zipping up our boots and staying true to our roots.
Photographs by Sam Christmas featured in this story were originally published in BOTHER Magazine Issue 1.
