Church’s launch their new CH873 sneaker in London’s Soho

To celebrate the new range, the shoe brand invited guests from Oliver Cheshire to Toby Huntington-Whiteley to the Vinyl Factory

Words: Jonathan Wells

Photography: Dave Bennett

Church’s know how to make a quality shoe. Their first pairs walked off the production line in 1873, in fact. But, since their acquisition by Prada in the 1990s, the brand has pushed the envelope even further, applying their singular craftsmanship to a series of increasingly more exciting projects.

The CH873 sneaker range is just the latest, and the collection was launched last night with a celebration in London’s Soho. The creative hub of Soho and neon lights inspired the special installation, which provided the perfect backdrop — hosted at the Vinyl Factory.

Josh Ludlow attends Church’s Footwear CH873 Sneaker Launch

Guests including Russel Tovey, Oliver Cheshire, Toby Huntington-Whiteley, Paul Sculfor and Jack fox were served Laurent Perrier champagne as well as a bespoke CH873 cocktail made from Portobello Road Gin, and craft beer and ale sourced from the Maule Brewer in Northampton. Gary Powell of The Libertines played a live set.

The CH873 brand combines the brand’s initials with the year the company was founded, 1873, a nod to the brand’s heritage. And, for this special launch attended by Carlo Sestini, Josh Ludlow, Patrick Grant and Lara Mullen, Church’s commissioned a dedicated digital campaign filmed in Soho, linking the unique vibes of this London quarter with this new style. Check out pictures from the event below…