For its new summer collection, Crockett & Jones goes coastal

Northampton isn’t known for its sunshine. It’s known for its formidable motorsport pedigree, the pack-pummelling prowess of the Northampton Saints, and — of course — for being the home of Britain’s heritage shoemaking industry, where Crockett & Jones has long been the strongly beating heart of Goodyear-welted craftsmanship. But sunshine? Not so much.

Thankfully, there’s always Amalfi. And this year, once again, the shoemaker has taken to the Campanian coast to showcase its latest summer styles. Featuring a new collection of travel loafers and an all-new short-vamp penny loafer, the range is as colourful as the borghi marinari themselves, with supple suede shades that evoke pistachio gelato, sun-warmed tans and the deep blue of the Mediterranean.

The Connaught 2

The Finchley 2

Within the coastal campaign, several pairs stand out. The Connaught 2 is a relaxed Oxford — the sort of shoe the talented Mr Crockett might have been crafting for the coast over a century ago — while the Finchley 2, rendered in black calf with a horsebit, strikes a sharper note: a refined style that’ll pair perfectly with a limoncello-laced sundowner.

Of course, they may be laid-back, but each pair is still built with the same world-renowned strength and durability the Crockett & Jones name has promised for generations — meaning they’ll carry you through summer and beyond, all the way back to cloudier Britain. We’ve chosen four of our favourite styles from the SS26 collection that will walk you, softly and seamlessly, from beach retreats to city streets…

The ‘Sorrento’ is as colourful as its namesake

Available in three picture-perfect pastels — blue, green and light brown — the new Sorrento from Crockett & Jones brings the Italian notion of sprezzatura to finely stitched life. To enhance comfort, the brand has removed the toe stiffener from its loafer design, instead relying on the tight fibre structure of its shoulder insole to ensure lasting durability.

The result is a Mediterranean masterstroke: an unstructured construction that pairs flexi-welts with lightweight ribbing to up those comfort credentials even further. Standing on a rubber wedge sole and built on Crockett & Jones’ shortest loafer last, it’s what’s known as a short-vamp penny loafer, so you’ll want to opt for a half-size down from your usual fit. But look on the bright side — that means all the more room in your carry-on.

Crockett & Jones

Sorrento

£525

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The ‘Salcombe 2’ is as steady as a sailboat

In many ways, the Devonshire town of Salcombe is our own Sorrento — all harbour-front dining and postcard-pretty coves. The latest additions to Crockett & Jones’ Salcombe 2 line tap neatly into that waterside heritage, not least the new dark blue ‘Ocean Suede’, which joins the five-strong lineup alongside a rich dark brown this summer.

This one’s as versatile as loafers get — a lightweight, leather-lined evolution of the original Salcombe, still the brand’s best-selling plain-front loafer. Expect raised seam aprons, box-stitch detailing and a gum-coloured rubber wedge sole unique to Crockett & Jones, engineered for greater flexibility and impact absorption — ensuring an even keel for deck-to-dock dressing.

Crockett & Jones

Salcombe 2

£525

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The ‘Harvard 2’ is your does-it-all travel companion

Amalfi is all well and good — but you still have to get there. That means early starts, airport transfers and making your gate on time. Crockett & Jones, well-heeled travellers that they are, understand the brief — hence the ‘Travel Loafer Collection’, introduced just in time for summer. And the Harvard 2, cut from supple, high-quality milled calf leather, is an education in business-class comfort.

In ‘Walnut’ — though it’s also available in khaki, navy, black and more — the Harvard feels at its most composed and collegiate. There’s no break-in period to contend with; instead, you get flexi-welts, extra-flex shoulder insoles and a ‘City’ sole so pliant it will carry you from metropolis to marina without breaking a sweat, a stitch, or your stride. The brand calls it “your does-it-all travel companion”. They’re not wrong.

Crockett & Jones

Harvard 2

£605

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The ‘Richmond 2’ is a classically styled, two-tone treat

Is there anything trimmer than a two-tone shoe? We’d wager not. Just take a look at the Richmond 2 — especially as it steps out along the Campanian coast — and it feels like a glance back in time. Exuding retro Riviera charm, it’s a gentleman’s runabout of a loafer: the footwear equivalent of a varnished mahogany speedboat skimming across the Med.

Once again, it’s set on the ever-flexible ‘City’ sole, making it comfortable enough to wear sockless from the moment you touch down. And with that contrast canvas vamp, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a pair more steeped in vintage appeal wherever you land this summer. Naturally, Crockett & Jones would suggest Amalfi — and, with sprezzatura like this, we’d be inclined to agree.