Wildsmith
Established 1847Founded in 1847 by Rebecca & Matthew Wildsmith in Piccadilly, London, Wildsmith is the manufacturer of the first ever slip-on loafer shoe, the Wildsmith loafer. Originally known as the model 582, the Wildsmith loafer was designed as an in-house shoe for King George Vl to wear with his shooting hose. The Wildsmith loafer grew out to become a widely popular casual style for outdoors, subsequently copied by many other leading shoemakers. Famous Wildsmith customers include King George VI, Prince Charles, John F Kennedy and Gary Grant.
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The Wildsmith company at some point stopped producing own shoes and sold only rebranded products from other suppliers. After going nearly bankrupt, the brand has been sold twice in the early-to-mid 2010s and now sells shoes at a lower level of quality and taste, again produced by an external supplier. The original Wildsmith loafer is now produced by Edward Green as the “Harrow” model.