Northampton Museum and Art Gallery houses one of the world's largest collections of shoes and shoe heritage, with over 18,000 items spanning more than 3,000 years of footwear history. The collection, which began in the 1870s, has been designated by Arts Council England as being of local, national and international importance.
From Local Trade to Global Archive
Northampton's connection to shoemaking dates to the 15th century, and by 1841 the town was home to 1,821 shoemakers. During the English Civil War, local manufacturers produced more than 4,000 pairs of leather shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry jack-boots for Parliamentary armies. By 1831, one third of adult males in Northampton worked as shoemakers, establishing the town as a major footwear and leather manufacturing centre by the late 18th century.
The museum, founded in 1865 and relocated to its current site at 5-6 Guildhall Road in 1884, reflects this industrial heritage through its permanent "Life & Sole" gallery, which recreates a historic shoe factory. The building is owned and operated by West Northamptonshire Council.
The Collection Today
The shoe collection has grown significantly since its origins. Early records from 2012 and 2014 reference approximately 12,000 pairs; the museum now holds more than 18,000 shoes according to 2026 official figures. This growth owes much to June Swann, who served as Keeper of the Boot and Shoe Collection from 1950 to 1988. Over her 38-year tenure, Swann transformed a modest local holding into what museum professionals regard as the world's leading footwear archive.
Notable items in the collection include: - Ancient Egyptian shoes dating to 1000BC - Queen Victoria's flat, beribboned white kid wedding slippers - David Beckham's football boots - The Spice Girls' Union Jack platform boots, manufactured by Shellys - Dr Martens' 50th anniversary cherry red boots - Original JuJu Jellie shoes - A rare 1830 apprentice-made shoe featuring the earliest known use of latex, with 44 stitches per inch - A comprehensive index of more than 900 concealed shoes, a folk tradition in which footwear was hidden within buildings for superstitious purposes
The collection also includes practical items such as Second World War munitions boots, which featured leather and felt soles designed to prevent sparks in factories.
Recent Developments
The museum closed between 2017 and 2021 for a Β£6.7 million expansion that doubled its size. It reopened on 10 July 2021 with new facilities including a dedicated shoe gallery, two art galleries, temporary exhibition space, a cafΓ©, an outdoor terrace and full accessibility features. Admission remains free.
In 2014, the museum received a Β£70,000 Arts Council grant to catalogue the full collection online, a project intended to make the archive accessible to researchers worldwide by 2016.
Visitor Information
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is located at 5-6 Guildhall Road, Northampton, NN1 1DP. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. The museum also opens on spring and summer bank holidays from 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
The shoe collection remains a testament to Northampton's enduring relationship with the footwear trade, preserving both the town's industrial legacy and the broader cultural significance of shoes as objects of fashion, function and historical record.
