Garbstore’s TDR has chosen a unique way to enter the world of footwear, not by chasing hype or looking at competitors, but by deciding to step back more than a century ago and rediscovering the honesty of shoes made when Britian had almost nothing left to spare. Teaming up with Tricker’s, the Northampton shoemaker that pretty much wrote the rulebook on British craft, they’ve reintroduced the Austerity Derby.
A Lesson From 1918
After the First World War, Britian was exhausted. Materials were scarce, time was tight, manpower was almost unavailable, and most families were more concerned with making ends meet than making an impression. Shoemakers stripped back their designs out of necessity. Unfinished stitches, unpolished leather, no fancy brogueing, no laces. Just solid, simple footwear made to help people through the day. This is exactly the moment TDR and Tricker’s decided to revisit. The 2025 Austerity Derby is simple and clean.
The soles aren’t shined, but left as they are, with all the natural marks of the workshop still visible. The boxes are plain and unbranded. The tongue is reinforced with soft offcuts of deer leather. At the heel only a small amount of brogueing appears.
The shoes arrive unlaced, exactly as they did back in 1918. Tucked inside the box is a pair of beautifully made Japanese Vincent Company laces, a gift from TDR.
