STORES
Barker shoes have been an English tradition for over a hundred years. Only the most carefully selected leathers are used and the uppers are shaped on the last by hand. Many other traditional shoemaking methods are still employed including slow natural drying and polishing. This is why Barker English shoes have a unique quality that no machine can ever match.
Barker have been making shoes in the Northamptonshire village of Earls Barton since 1880. In a changing world, it's good to know you can still find perfection if you look for it.
The foundation stone of the Barker brand was laid in a humble cottage in the heart of England's shoe manufacturing industry in 1880, by an enterprising Northamptonshire boot maker.
Arthur Barker was a skilled craftsman and natural innovator, whose waterproof peg-sole boots were highly sought after (the pegs would swell when wet and make the sole waterproof). Unable to satisfy increasing demands, he employed other craftsmen in surrounding villages to fulfill his growing order book. With a keen eye on the future and a shrewd sense of timing, Barker invested in factory premises at the turn of the century, later securing contracts to supply the British army with boots during the First World War.
Throughout the interwar years, the Barker brand went from strength to strength as Arthur's three sons joined the family business, taking the brand into new markets and territories. In 1947, a new factory was built in Earls Barton to house the women's shoe production, and in 1950 the brand established a separate sales company to sell direct to retailers.
One thing for sure, it is craftsmen and fine materials that makes good shoes. At Barkers, there is no shortage of either. Our craftspeople produce some 200,000 pairs of hand lasted sewn shoes each year.
In 1986 Barker built a new factory and offices using Northamptonshire local brick and stone. It is now one of the finest footwear factories in Europe and occupies a 4.5 acre landscaped site at the centre of the village of Earls Barton. This site is only a few hundred yards away from the original site of 1880. We are at the heart of the British Shoe Making Industry with a highly skilled local labour pool.
The factory was designed to make fine English shoes. Each section was custom built to achieve this. For example good natural light is a prime requirement for leather grading, colour matching and consistently good stitching, so the environment was arranged to provide this.
CLOTHING - SINGLE SIZE CONVERSION | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
EUROPEAN | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 |
US | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
UK Size | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
Bust (inches) | 32.5 | 33.5 | 34.5 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 38 | 39.5 | 41 | 43 | 45 |
Waist (inches) | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29.5 | 31 | 32.5 | 34.5 | 36.5 |
Hip (inches) | 34.5 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37.5 | 38.5 | 40 | 41.5 | 43 | 45 | 47 |
Bust (cm) | 82.5 | 85 | 87.5 | 90 | 92.5 | 96.5 | 100.5 | 104 | 109 | 114 |
Waist (cm) | 61 | 63.5 | 66 | 68.5 | 71 | 75 | 79 | 82.5 | 87.5 | 93 |
Hip (cm) | 87.5 | 90 | 93 | 95 | 98 | 101.5 | 105.5 | 109 | 114 | 119 |
Men's size guide
UK Sizes | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neck (inches) | 13-13 1/2 | 14-14 1/2 | 15-15 1/2 | 16-16 1/2 | 17-17 1/2 | 18-18 1/2 | 19-19 1/2 |
Chest (inches) | 33-34 | 35-37 | 38-40 | 42-44 | 46-48 | 50-52 | 54-56 |
Sleeve (inches) | 31 1/2-32 | 32 1/2-33 | 33 1/2-34 | 34 1/2-35 | 35 1/2-36 | 36-36 1/2 | 36 1/2-37 |
Waist (inches) | 27-28 | 29-31 | 32-34 | 36-38 | 40-42 | 44-46 | 50-52 |
Neck (cm) | 33-34 | 36-37 | 38-39 | 40-42 | 43-45 | 46-47 | 48-49 |
Chest (cm) | 84-86 | 89-94 | 96-102 | 107-112 | 116-122 | 127-132 | 137-140 |
Sleeve (cm) | 80-81 | 82-84 | 85-86 | 87-89 | 90-91 | 91-93 | 93-94 |
Waist (cm) | 68-71 | 73-79 | 81-86 | 91-97 | 101-107 | 111-117 | 127-132 |
U.S./Canada |
U.K. |
Europe |
China |
5 |
4.5 |
37.5 |
38 |
5.5 |
5 |
38 |
39 |
6 |
5.5 |
38.5 |
39.5 |
6.5 |
6 |
39 |
40 |
7 |
6.5 |
40 |
41 |
7.5 |
7 |
40.5 |
- |
8 |
7.5 |
41 |
42 |
8.5 |
8 |
42 |
43 |
9 |
8.5 |
42.5 |
43.5 |
9.5 |
9 |
43 |
44 |
10 |
9.5 |
44 |
44.5 |
10.5 |
10 |
44 |
45 |
11 |
10.5 |
44.5 |
45.5 |
11.5 |
11 |
45 |
46 |
12.5 |
12 |
46 |
47 |
13 |
12.5 |
46.5 |
47.5 |
14 |
13 |
47 |
48 |
Choosing the right shoes width is key to your foot health.
Shoes that are too narrow can cause sores, cramps and bunions. They’re also likely to be too tight, increasing the chance of sweating and the risk of bacterial infection.
Shoes that are too wide won’t secure your foot properly, causing friction while walking, potentially leading to sores and blisters. To walk properly, your toes need to be gripped. If they’re not, it can lead to issues such as hammer toe and nail problems.
Follow these steps to measure your feet and find a pair of shoes with the right width:
This UK foot width chart should give you a good idea of the shoe width you require:
This UK foot width chart should give you a good idea of the shoe width you require:
UK Size |
Narrow |
Medium |
Wide |
X Wide |
3 |
7.2 cm |
8.1 cm |
9 cm |
10 cm |
4 |
7.5 cm |
8.5 cm |
9.4 cm |
10.3 cm |
5 |
7.9 cm |
8.8 cm |
9.7 cm |
10.6 cm |
6 |
8.3 cm |
9 cm |
10 cm |
11 cm |
7 |
8.6 cm |
9.4 cm |
10.3 cm |
11.3 cm |
8 |
8.8 cm |
9.7 cm |
10.6 cm |
11.6 cm |
9 |
9.1 cm |
10 cm |
11 cm |
11.9 cm |
10 |
9.6 cm |
10.3 cm |
11.2 cm |
12.3 cm |
11 |
9.7 cm |
10.6 cm |
11.6 cm |
12.7 cm |
12 |
9.9 cm |
10.9 cm |
12 cm |
13.1 cm |
13 |
10.2 cm |
11.2 cm |
12.4 cm |
13.5 cm |
Does shoe width increase with shoe size?
Generally speaking, the bigger your foot, the wider it is. Shoe width doesn’t just apply to the distance between the widest part of your shoe, but also how deep it is too.
Shoe size and shoe width tend to be proportional in standard sizing, so large shoes may run a little wider than necessary if you have long, but narrow feet.
However, we’d advise against opting for a larger shoe size, solely for the purpose of getting a wider fit, as this could cause a trip hazard.
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR FEET