Edward Green vs Crockett & Jones

Same town, same construction

Both make Goodyear-welted, leather-lined, leather-soled shoes in Northampton on their own lasts. Neither has an engineering advantage over the other, and both will be resoled for decades.

What differs is the level of finishing, the consistency of the leather selection, and the shapes of the lasts.

Where the money goes

Edward Green sits at the top of the English ready-to-wear market: hand-burnished antiquing, closely trimmed waists, and a general level of hand attention that costs hours. Crockett & Jones's Benchgrade line is the workhorse English shoe at roughly half the price; its Handgrade line closes most of the gap.

The honest comparison is Edward Green against Crockett & Jones Handgrade, where the difference is small and largely a matter of which last shape you prefer. Against Benchgrade, Edward Green is clearly more refined and clearly more expensive.

Lasts

This decides it for most people. Edward Green's 202 is long and narrow through the waist; the 82 is rounder and roomier. Crockett & Jones's 348 is accommodating, the 337 more elegant, the 341 chiselled.

There is no substitute for trying them. A foot that suits one maker's principal lasts will usually be uncomfortable in the other's, and that consideration should outrank everything above.