There’s a new made-to-order attitude that’s less about stuffy sartorial legacies and more about conscious consumption. After decades of manufacturing for other brands, the fourth generation of the Goral family have launched their own line of handcrafted men’s sneakers and shoes.
‘The off-shoring of production from many companies has further highlighted the importance of Made in England for us. We wanted to create a business model that promotes things made in the UK and also support our workforce for the years ahead,’ Dominik Goral, Goral’s commercial director says. ‘Contract work alone wouldn’t provide this stability.’
Goral’s made-to-order mindset promotes conscious consumption
In 1936, Goral’s great-great-grandfather began making footwear out of a small workshop in Krakow, Poland. The whole family – including the children – worked on the manufacture and distribution of boots and shoes. In 2005 they moved to the Sheffield in the north of England and established a new chapter. The brand is powered by a team of makers who mostly moved to the UK from Poland for a new life. Goral says: ‘Longevity and quality are the key. We didn’t want our shoes to end up in the landfill once the soles wore out and that was why we established the Rebuild+ service, but it’s also about sustaining our 40-plus workforce too.’
The ‘Mellor II’ – a pared-back take on a classic trainer – involves 200 stages during production. ‘We’re technically a small start-up with limited budget and time, meaning that we need to put our resources to best use. Offering made-to-order removes the need to discount products or push sales. We can concentrate on quality and minimise waste. We’re proud of our 80-year history, but we’re looking towards the next 80.’
A pair of Goral shoes is made from scratch and on your feet within ten days of a click. §