If this Derby boot is good enough for Bond, then it's good enough for you

In a new series, Amie Elizabeth White reveals one thing you should buy in each category, from shoes and white shirts, to weekend bags and umbrellas.

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Crockett & Jones Islay dark brown Derby boot in Scotch grain leather
(Image credit: Crockett & Jones)

James Bond might epitomise sartorial slickness, but Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007 saw a wardrobe shift to mix refined with real-world wearability. It is no surprise to hear, then, that he requested Crockett & Jones footwear for some of his escapades.

Explorers posing on the deck of the 'Endurance' during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-17, led by Ernest Shackleton

Shackleton's Endurance explorers pose on the deck of their ship in February 1915. The vessel was abandoned in October 1915 and sank on November 21, 1915, after being crushed by sea ice in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. All 28 crew members survived the ordeal and the wreck was rediscovered in 2022.

(Image credit: Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images)

Established in 1879 by brothers-in-law James Crockett and Charles Jones, the company, still run by the Jones family, began life making men’s boots in its Northampton factory. It soon earned a stellar reputation and, by 1900, was exporting its creations around the world.

Crockett & Jones dark brown boots

Crockett & Jones's Islay boot in a dark brown Scotch grain leather.

(Image credit: Crockett & Jones)

Sir Ernest Shackleton wore Crockett & Jones boots for his Endurance expedition in 1914 and the company was commissioned to supply British troops during the First World War. In 1924, it won royal patronage when the Duke of York, later George VI, visited the factory and, in 2017, it was awarded a Royal Warrant by the then Prince of Wales.

Pictured is the Islay Derby, a round-toe country boot built to accompany the multi-tasking modern gentleman. The boots have a storm-welt construction (an extra flap of leather running along the perimeter), which provides excellent water resistance, rubber Dainite soles for all-weather traction and a handsome scotch-grain leather that will mature like a fine wine.

Comfortable and versatile, they are tough enough for traipsing the Scottish Highlands (as demonstrated by Daniel Craig in Skyfall) and svelte enough for the more urbane environments, encapsulating the company’s adage ‘made to be worn’.

The Islay full brogue Derby boot costs £655. Visit the Crockett and Jones website for more information.

Amie Elizabeth White
Amie Elizabeth White

Amie Elizabeth White is Country Life's Acting Luxury Editor. She studied history at the University of Edinburgh and previously worked in fashion styling. She regularly writes for Country Life's London Life supplement and has written for Luxury London, covering everything from Chanel suits and skincare, to the best pies in the city. She has a big heart, but would sell her soul for a good pair of shoes.