A Considered Approach

Each pair of CHAPTER 2 shoes is crafted slowly by artisan shoemakers following our dedication to small batch production both here in the UK and in Italy. 

Traditional craft is important to us so our manufacturing partners are family run factories who have passed their skills and expertise down through the generations. To avoid over-production we only make what we know we can sell. Our signature shoes are produced in Italy in batches of between 12-25 pairs per style.

Shoes made in our workshop in East Sussex are handcrafted by our shoemaker Tom, either as a one-of-a-kind or in a micro batch of just 5 pairs. Your shoes will come direct from the hands of the maker and you’ll always know who made your shoes. 

Over the next year we plan to increase our commitment to local production by creating more of our shoes here at our own workshop in England.

Our aim is to make the best shoes we can and that means not compromising on quality and ensuring our shoes are built to last. We craft longevity into our shoes through the timeless design, high quality leathers and the possibility to mend and repair. 

The leather sole on our signature styles is made with a Blake stitch construction which allows it to be easily replaced by your local shoe repairer. A new sole every few years will give your favourite shoes several more years, meaning you can keep wearing them for longer.

We’ll always encourage you to repair your CHAPTER 2 boots as this seems to us to be the most sustainable approach to design.

Leather is a beautiful natural material and a by-product of the meat industry. Each skin is a precious material that’s already lived a life so for us it’s important that leather is respected and not wasted.

At CHAPTER 2 we use a lot of veg tanned leathers which due to the natural tanning process allows them to develop a rich and characterful patina, one which ages gracefully and where the leather tells its own story.

We are committed to sourcing leathers from tanneries that have achieved either a Gold or Silver rating as part of the Leather Working Group - the cornerstone in standards for the production of responsibly made leather. 

Buying a pair of CHAPTER 2 shoes comes with the assurance that the leather has been produced in a responsible tannery where the highest standards are met in terms of traceable sources, anti-pollution and energy efficiency.

Everything that we do is considered and small scale and that includes sampling. We keep our development samples to a minimum, and will mainly develop single feet samples of new styles until we have the pattern just right. 

To allow any slight seconds or full pairs of samples a chance to find new homes we occasionally host an online sample sale. And to avoid any single feet samples being thrown away we collaborate with the charity Jo’s Odd Shoes where the shoes can find new owners and will be worn & loved. We try to make sure no shoe goes to waste.

We believe in treading lightly and using responsible materials throughout our entire process, not just on our shoes. 

So, whether it’s our shoeboxes, promotional materials or shipping boxes we ensure that every pair of CHAPTER 2 shoes is shipped in plastic-free, eco-friendly, and as far as possible FSC certified. Reflecting our values and yours. 

As we are committed to reducing plastic waste the only time you’ll find us using bubble wrap is when we are re-using packaging from something that was sent to us.

We support responsible reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and carbon removal projects worldwide. Every project is rigorously vetted by Ecologi to ensure the right trees are planted in the right places, with local communities, and that carbon removal meets strict quality criteria.