Leave It to Craig Green to Unclassic Britain's Most Classic Leather Shoe (EXCLUSIVE)
The work of Craig Green, British designer extraordinaire, is as grounded as it is transformative. Yes, he may explode staple menswear into deconstructed shapes that more closely recall model kits than "clothing" but it's all filtered through his own heritage.
Hence, though Green's latest collaborative Grenson shoes are very obviously recognizable as the classic brogues they are, they're also entirely unclassic by design.
Green and centuries-old British shoemaker Grenson have worked together plenty of times over the years (might as well call them Greenson!), yielding stocky slip-on boots and layered sneakers alike.
The duo's latest innovation is perhaps more grounded than prior efforts but nevertheless still utterly dynamic.
Here, for the 10th anniversary of the Grenson triple welt — a doubled-up, extra thick stitching technique that adheres a shoe's upper to its sole — Green has modulated Grenson's Dominic derby shoe into a sandwich of perforated leather.
The beauty of his design isn't just in how the stacked panels balance the weighty sole below, but also in how Green's fascination with transforming clothes manifests in fully adjustable footwear.
"Craig was interested in being able to add and remove pieces to the shoe and to be able to make multiple versions from one base, by using clips, studs and poppers to make parts interchangeable," Grenson explains in a press release.
What results is a beautiful fusion of the classic and contemporary, reflective of Green's approach to design. Because, as futuristic as his vision may be, it all comes back to his British roots.
Hence why, when Green designs adidas sneakers, he's inspired by sports like squash and wrestling, activities he observed in school.
It's why he recently collaborated with Fred Perry, another British heritage brand, and why shapes akin to football jerseys appear in his sublime Spring/Summer 2025 collection that also debuted Green's new Grenson shoes.
Green's creative vision is utterly informed by the environment that shaped him.
These Grenson shoes, launching December 5 on Grenson's website, are indicative of traditional British dress, yes.
They're also reflective of the formal footwear Green wore to grammar school, the shoes worn on Saville Row, the shoes so many business people wear every day.
“A lot of people see uniforms as oppressive, but I find them democratizing,” Green told us earlier this year.
“I think the reason I liked fashion when I was studying it was because it can be anything. There are so many different aspects to it. It’s like the mathematics of pattern cutting or textiles as graphics. There’s also a human element to it because it’s always on the body. And putting on a show, there’s a theatrical element.”
