About Us

In 1899, Alfred Sargent, together with his sons, Frank and Harry, set up his company, Alfred Sargent and Sons, in the town of Rushden, Northamptonshire. England.

Pictured: Alfred Sargent

Sixteen years later, in 1915, Alfred moved to the present site of Portland Road, Rushden.  It was the first single storey factory built in Rushden and also the first to have electricity, a vast improvement from the old gas lighting of the era.

Pictured: The Alfred Sargent Factory in Portland Road

 During the 1940’s, the next generation of the Sargent family entered the business. Frank’s son Derrick joined the company at a time of tremendous growth in the footwear industry in the county of Northamptonshire, the home of quality English shoemaking, with the Alfred Sargent brand at the centre of this popularity.

By the 1960’s the fourth generation of Sargents, Paul and Andrew joined the business, and the traditional manufacture of footwear was gradually infused with the changing trends and styles of fashion. In 1999 under Paul Sargents’ stewardship Alfred Sargent and Sons had now passed its hundredth year of production, joining an elite group of manufacturers that have achieved such a milestone.

In 2021, during a tumultuous time both for Alfred Sargent and the world at large with the Covid-19 Pandemic, "Paul Sargent" was born, led by its eponymous owner. With a Sargent back at the helm, we continue on in the same premises where Paul and his ancestors forged their craft with a renewed sense of optimism and a dedication to producing quality shoes.