The Step Forward With Lewis Shoe Tours offer both running and walking options for those who want to learn more about the area’s industrial past.
The tours returned on Sunday with a walking group enjoying sights including the outside of the Tricker’s factory and Northampton Museum.
Three further walking tours are scheduled for April 13, May 11 and June 8 - all on Sundays.
The tours first started back in 2020 when the then Northampton Borough Council placed a number of shoe statues around the town centre.
Although the statues have since been removed, Step Forward With Lewis’ tours have grown in scope, exploring the streets and houses shoe workers used to occupy, sharing facts about factories, and looking at how the industry revolutionised life in Northampton.
Michelle Lewis, who runs the tours, said: “Northampton is full of history dating back more than 1,000 years, and you only have to look at our Market Square, the Guildhall or All Saints’ Church to realise just how much heritage we have on offer.
“The evolution of the shoe industry is just a small part of that, but a really important one.
“Our tours inform participants about the vital role manufacturing has had here, as well as about the lives of those people who worked in - and owned - the factories that shaped Northampton.”
One of those who enjoyed this weekend’s walking tour said: “It was well worth the very minimal cost to book a tour with Michelle leading us around the streets of the town and sharing her extensive knowledge of the town’s boot and shoe origins and history.”
Another added: “This was a very informative and interesting tour of Northampton. A great way to spend a Sunday!”
For more information or book yourself on a future tour, visit
https://stepforwardwithlewis.com/shoe-tours/