Church’s shoes; was founded in 1873 by Thomas Church and his three sons in Northampton, not far from London. In a few short years, the family brand was transformed from a craft workshop into a benchmark firm for high-quality footwear – both locally and for the most demanding shoe shops in London and throughout Great Britain. The Church’s brand expanded into the overseas market in the early 20th century, and has continued to do so following a successful takeover from fashion house Prada in 1999, who continued to drive brand expansion. As of 2011, Church’s Shoes had become a global brand selling throughout the UK and all over the world in countries including Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, USA, Hong Kong and Singapore.