Renowned British shoemaker Edward Green recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of its partnership with Tassels, Hong Kong’s leading leather accessories expert, with an exclusive trunk show at the Tassels Landmark Store. We spoke with Michael Howard, Retail Stores Manager for Edward Green, to find out more about the luxury marque’s 128-year legacy of producing classic English footwear, its relationship with Tassels, and embracing Asia’s burgeoning population of fine shoe aficionados.

Tell us a little bit about Edward Green.

Edward Green is a quintessentially British shoemaker that was first founded in 1890, so it’s got a long history of producing top-quality leather shoes in the classic British style. The ethos of our company is to create the best possible shoe using the finest materials that we can find.

What sets Edward Green apart from other shoemakers?

Longevity and durability are the hallmarks of our designs, so much so that we’ve even made shoes for the British Army. We stay true to the tenets of traditional British shoemaking. For example, where Italians aim for a more sartorial style with slimmer fits and lighter construction, we focus on more robust designs elements, such as Goodyear welted soles where an added welt is stitched into the outsoles to make it wholly waterproof.

How did your partnership with Tassels come about?

Our relationship with Tassels came about because we were looking for a partner who understands and shares our commitment to delivering the best-quality leather shoes. In the 12 years that we’ve worked together, we’ve built up a really strong partnership, and they’ve helped establish our brand in Hong Kong, and within other Asian markets like Japan and South Korea. In fact, this association has proved so fruitful that Edward Green has even designed special styles such as anniversary editions exclusively for Tassels.

What do you think are the biggest differences in taste between Asia and Europe?

In Europe, there’s a trend towards the casual at the moment, which we’ve adapted to by introducing aspects like rubber shoes to lend a sporty, laid-back element. In Asia, though, the market is more geared towards traditional designs with leather soles. Here we see Edward Green’s classic British designs like the Chelsea, the Belgravia and the Picadilly as among the top favourites.

But even here, tastes are definitely changing. These days, it’s more about soft tailoring and lighter leather. To respond to this, we’ve introduced shoes with softer, more supple leather like the Utah and the Delapre from France and incorporated them into our new collections.

Thank you.

Interview by: Tenzing Thondup