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Grenson Buyer’s Guide | Care, Size and Styling

Grenson shoes are a renowned brand for their durable well-made shoes with a timeless style all year round. From outdoor excursions to occasion footwear, we’re seeing Grenson shoes everywhere, serving a firm case for their versatility and making them all the more tempting. To help you make the move from wish list to bag, we’ve put together the ultimate buyers guide to Grenson shoes, complete with everything you need to know about fit, care and style. Grenson

#1 What’s the history of Grenson?

Grenson began in 1866 with William Green travelling around a little town in Northamptonshire each day, handing out jobs to his shoemakers at their homes before they had a factory. After moving into their first factory in 1874, they became one of the first factories in the world to use the Goodyear Welted method of shoemaking, which they continue to use to this day. As a testament to their humble, all-quality no-fuss attitude, Grenson is only now on their 3rd factory, still using the same techniques, maintaining the ethos of their family-run origins. As it stands now, Grenson encompasses all its history. Their durability is inspired by their time making boots for soldiers in WW1, while their design is informed by Hayden Grenson’s time spent travelling. 

#2 How do Grenson boots fit?

Women

UK US EU
3 6 36
3.5 6.5 36.5
4 7 37
4.5 7.5 37.5
5 8 38
5.5 8.5 38.5
6 9 39
6.5 9.5 39.5
7 10 40
7.5 10.5 40.5
8 11 41

Men

UK US EU
5 6 39
5.5 6.5 39.5
6 7 40
6.5 7.5 40.5
7 8 41
7.5 8.5 41.5
8 9 42
8.5 9.5 42.5
9 10 43
9.5 10.5 43.5
10 11 44
10.5 11.5 44.5
11 12 45
11.5 12.5 45.5
12 13 46   
All the Grenson women’s styles are in a standard D width fitting, and the men’s have a standard F width. So if you have wider feet you may have to go up a size, especially in some of the men’s brogue styles which have slimmer toes. 

#3 How to care for your Grenson shoes

The most important thing to know is to not wear your Grensons out in the rain until you’ve worn them at least 3-4 times. Getting the leather wet can soften them, affecting the process of the shoe moulding to suit your foot. If you do get caught in the rain, take them home and leave them to dry fully on a shoe tree or stuffed with newspaper to make sure they keep their shape. In general, water will age your shoes faster, causing them to fade and soften as a faster rate, so don’t go splashing around in puddles in them.Grenson

#4 How to clean your Grenson shoes

For leather styles

Start off by wiping them over with a dry cloth to get rid of any dust or dirt. Avoid using any water which will fade the leather, a once over with a cloth or shoe brush should do the trick. Or for tougher marks, use the Grenson William Green’s Cleaning Tonic which is gentle enough to be used on leather styles and white soles.If they need a spruce up, use either a wax to polish them up and renew their shine, or leather cream to rehydrate them for a new lease of life. Whichever you use, put plenty of product on the shoe then let them sit overnight to soak it all in, then buff them with a cloth before wearing again. If you notice any scratches or scuffs on your shoes, use your finger to gently dab a little bit of coloured polish onto the mark then wipe off the excess. This will mask any annoying little marks. 

For suede/nubuck styles

Use a suede brush to get rid of any dust or marks. Whatever you do, don’t use water. Instead, you can get suede protector or Grenson’s own Suede Salvation to help form a water-resistant barrier to protect your pair. 

#5 How are Grenson shoes made?

Grenson shoes are made using the Goodyear Welting process, just as they have been since 1874. This process is all about durability, making Grenson shoes hardwearing and long-lasting. It involves stitching the upper of the shoe to a piece of leather which is then attached to the sole, doubling up on strengthEach pair takes up to 8 weeks to make and involves over 200 different process and operations, so you know they’re intricately and carefully made with attention to detail and quality.

#6 Can Grenson shoes be repaired?

The Goodyear Welting process means that Grensons are really easily repaired and resoled so you can avoid forking out for a whole new pair. In fact, Grenson offers a repair service.When you send your shoes off to get repaired, you’ll get a practically new pair back, reshaping and repairing the upper and soles but leaving you with your original insole to avoid having to repeat the breaking-in process. The shoes remain just as comfortable but look good as new. Read more about Grenson repair services here.

#7 How should I style Grenson shoes?

Classic and timelessly stylish, Grensons go with just about everything. From celebs to street style, we’ve seen them paired with anything and everything from formal dresses to jungle shorts.
Perfect for winter and jungle climates alike, Holly Willoughby made us want a pair after styling them up with everything from denim shorts to this amazing asymmetric party dress. Can you wear your Grenson boots to a party? I think Holly would say yes.
The Grenson range also includes some seriously sleek trainers. Kit Harrington proves the power of a simple white trainer, looking bold against a dark look. Trust us, white trainers are just as easy to style as black ones, especially when they’re as simple as the Grenson sneaker 1s.
Our favourite TV girl crush, Jodie Comer, is seen styling her Nanette boots with everything but we love this day party look. Hiking boots and a dainty floral dress might not seem like a match made in heaven, but the combo of heavy and light is a big trend for 2019 and shows no sign of disappearing any time soon. 
Don’t need any more black boots? Want to push the boat out a little? A light colour boot is a fun way to get involved with the winter whites trend and make sure your shoes as trans-seasonal moving from your big coats to little dresses with ease. Blogger Charlotte Jacklin is giving us winter outfit inspo, matching her cream Grensons to her cosy coat.

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Sarah Atkinson
Sarah Atkinson Writer and expert

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