Ducker & Son

Next door to the famous outfitters Walters, Duckers at No. 6  Turl Street have shod generations of Oxford undergraduates with hand made bespoke shoes and boots.

The firm was founded by Edward and Mrs. Ducker in 1898, and they ran the business until their deaths in 1947. The firm’s business continued under dedicated owners until it closed in late 2016, much to the sadness of its many clients who appreciated true bespoke service.

Duckers’ famous customers included J.R.R. Tolkien, P. M. Asquith, Rowan Atkinson, Jeremy Clarkson, Matthew Pinsent and Evelyn Waugh, and they featured in the 2007 film “The Atonement”.

The closure of Duckers is a great loss to those who appreciate true shoemaking craftsmanship, and especially young men who will no longer be introduced in their college days to the delights of having their shoes made to their personal specification.

Gloomy observers may be tempted to see the closure of Duckers as the sign of a declining trade, but in fact the craft of bespoke shoemaking is now enjoying a renaissance, as more and more people seek out originality and integrity in what they wear, and increasing numbers appreciate the great rewards that come to those who practice and eventually master a skilled and complex craft.