James Bond didn't always care for shoes. When Ian Fleming first created the character, the spy would almost exclusively slip on casual shoes and moccasins. But, across 25 films, James Bond has worn countless footwear styles, some of which are indeed of note.
When Bond is dressing in the Hotel Splendide in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the author even slyly asides; “he abhorred shoe-laces”.
In Goldfinger and Thunderball Sean Connery's Bond was usually sighted wearing two-eyelet derby shoes, which essentially looked like a short chukka. They were most likely to have been designed by John Lobb.
In Diamonds Are Forever, Bond wears a pair of Saxone golf shoes both on and off the course. In Goldfinger, his black casual shoes are obscenely clunky, albeit to conceal a knife in each heel. And, in Thunderball, Bond wears black saddle-stitched sandals — with a full business suit. It’s enough to make a sharp dresser despair.
Daniel Craig’s take on the spy, particularly, has laced-up many big-name brands during his tenure as 007, including Sanders & Sanders, Church’s and John Lobb.
For the last four films, Daniel Craig’s James Bond has been reliably (if a little tightly) suited by Tom Ford. There were shoes from the likes of Drake’s, Sperry and Crockett & Jones. In Spectre, Bond is shown wearing a pair of Crockett & Jones Cavendish loafers.
No Time To Die proved to be the best film for Bond when it came to his footwear. And, for the last three films, he has been dependably booted by Crockett & Jones. The heritage Northamptonshire shoemaker has a range of styles for the costume department to choose from; and this is the first of two to feature in No Time To Die.
No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film overall, followed in the finely crafted footsteps of Craig’s previous four films.
The ‘Highbury’ is a plain-fronted, three-eyelet Derby shoe. Cut from the finest black calf leather and fitted with Crockett & Jones’ patented ‘City’ rubber sole, it’s a simple, sophisticated style — and one readily available to customers. Bond will benefit from the style’s versatility in the film, wearing it both with his tuxedo in Cuba, and with a grey Prince of Wales check suit when he returns to MI6 in London.
Another pair of shoes that’ll be seen across several outfits, Bond will begin the film in a pair of Drake’s chukka boots. With distinctive moccasin-style stitching around the vamp, these dark brown boots walk the line between smart and casual, and are cut from premium rough out suede for sturdiness.
They’re also made in Italy, which is fitting — as Bond will wear his pair of ‘Crosby’ boots during the opening sequence of No Time To Die. Firstly, he’ll pair them with a Connolly jacket as he hides out in the Basilicata city of Matera with Dr Madeleine Swann. Then, they’ll match with his Massimo Alba corduroy suit during the film’s first action set-piece.
Next up; boat shoes. When No Time To Die catches up with Bond after Matera, he’s living in Jamaica — in a beautiful coastal house and with a Spirit 46 sailing yacht at his disposal. As such, he is in need of a nifty pair of boat shoes — and the production team settled on Sperry to provide them.
While we know you can’t actually see the shoes in the picture above, we promise they’ll play an integral part of Craig’s Caribbean wardrobe. Paired with his Tommy Bahama shirt, Bond will reunite with Felix Leiter in his hand-sewn, burnished boat shoes — before high-stepping them to Cuba to meet Ana de Armas’ intelligence operative, Paloma.
No Time To Die will finally, in his fifth film, see Daniel Craig’s James Bond in full, military-inspired tactical gear. Worn while infiltrating the island lair of Rami Malek’s villainous Safin, this commando outfit is mostly made by N.Peal, with a ribbed army sweater and combat trousers. But the shoes — high of ankle and black of colour — are made by Danner.
Danner, as any footwear fans may remember, provided Bond’s ‘Mountain Light II’ boots for the snowy scenes in Spectre. But these shoes, created with rough-out leather and rugged nylon, are infinitely more practical. Lightweight, breathable and with a cushioning polyurethane footbed, we can think of fewer boots better for saving the world.
And, lastly, back to the reliable style and comfort of Crockett & Jones. The ‘Molton’ boots are plain-fronted, three-eyelet chukka boots, and we’ll see Bond slip them on during the Norway-set scenes in No Time To Die.
Paired with a questionable duster coat from Massimo Alba, the Dainite rubber soles will doubtlessly prove more than a match for Scandi woodland — as Bond is pursued through across the wilderness by Billy Magnussen’s CIA agent, Logan Ash.
Want more from Bond’s wardrobe? Here’s every pair of sunglasses James Bond will wear in No Time To Die…
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