In Wollaston, Northamptonshire, footwear manufacturing is more than a trade. It is a tradition that streches back centuries, with generations of local workers keeping the craft alive. At the centre of that history is NPS Solovair, the British footwear manufacturer known for its Goodyear-welted boots, shoes and sandals, all produced at its purpose-built factory on South Street.
The company became widely recognised for manufacturing air-cushioned-sole footwear in collaboration with Griggs, the original makers of Dr. Martens, from the 1960s. Today, Solovair continues to build on that heritage while also developing its own footwear collections, combining traditional shoemaking techniques with modern materials and technology.
A Cooperative Founded in 1881
The story begins with NPS Shoes, originally established as the Northhampton Productive Society in 1881. Founded by local shoemakers, the workers’ cooperative offered an alternative to an industry in which many craftspeople produced footwear from their homes for relatively low pay. By working together, members could secure larger orders and establish more reliable incomes.
One of the cooperative’s significant contracts involved manufacturing army boots for the British Government, helping the business grow into an established footwear producer. Its longevity made NPS an important part of British manufacturing history, with the organisation recognised as the UK’s oldest workers’ cooperative.
Rebuilding the Company
The business faced serious difficulties around two decades ago, when it came close to collapse. Loval businessmen Ivor Tilley, who had worked in the footwear industry since the 1970s, stepped in to save the factory from demolition. Alongside NPS, he acquired Wollaston Marketing, the company responsible for producing the ribs used in welted footwear and supplying them to manufactures around the world.
Tilley continues to run the business alongside his son-in-law, Christian Castle, who serves as managing director. Together with a local workforce of around 60 people, they have maintained production in Wollaston while continuing to develop the company’s offering.
Every Pair Starts in Wollaston
The British Industrial Archives visited the Solovair factory, and that visit offers a closer look at the manufacturing process that remains rooted in British industry. Every paie of Solovair footwear is made in Wollaston, with production beginning at the sole and progressing through the various stages of construction.
Goodyear-welted footwear requires specialist knowledge and carefully executed construction. The process connects the upper, insole and ousole through a welt, creating a durable structure that can be repaired and resoled. NPS also manufactures its own footwear ribs, the strips attached to the insole that provides the foundation for stitching the welt and outsole together.
Keeping the work in-house gives the company much more control over its manufacturing process and gives them the chance to preserve skills over generations.
Preserving the Future of British Shoemaking
Despite its historic foundations, NPS Solovaid is not looking backwards. The company continues to expand its product range, explore new collaborations and work with a variety of different materials.
Wollaston has been associated with shoemaking since at least the 13th century, and NPS Solovair remains part of that story. More than a century after the cooperative was founded, its factory continues to produce footwear locally, keeping British manufacturing skills alive with every pair that leaves the production line.
All images courtesy of the British Industrial Archives (BIA).
Inside Solovair’s British Shoe Factory in Wollaston
