Spectre gives Daniel Craig’s Bond several pairs of Crockett & Jones: a boot for a funeral, a dressier shoe for the train. The Norwich is the one he wears to work. A black calf derby with a straight toe cap and a rubber sole, it asks for no attention and gets on with the job. That is why the Crockett & Jones Norwich is, in our view, a better buy for most men than anything more formal.
In the film
Bond wears the black calf Norwich in Spectre (2015), from the Mexico opening sequence through his London scenes, among them the meeting with M and the visit to Q’s lab, and on to the Oberhauser lair. It is the shoe he wears with his business suits. See our guide to Spectre for the rest of the wardrobe, or Craig’s Bond for the wider picture.
The details of the Crockett & Jones Norwich
A derby, not an Oxford. The Norwich laces with open quarters, which gives a little more room across the instep and a slightly more relaxed line than a closed-lacing Oxford.
Straight toe cap, five eyelets. The cap adds a single clean seam across the toe and makes the shoe a touch more formal than a plain-fronted one. It is the main difference from the Highbury Bond wears in Skyfall, which has a plain front and three eyelets. Both are cut on the same last, number 348.
Black calf. A fine, close-grained leather that takes a polish well. In black it passes for office wear in any city.
Dainite rubber sole. The sole is the practical heart of the shoe. It grips on wet pavement, wears slowly and keeps the weather out far better than a leather sole. It also makes the Norwich a shoe for ordinary days rather than for ceremony, which is how Bond wears it.
Wearing it now
This is a shoe for a man who wears a suit and then walks home. We would wear it with grey flannel, a navy worsted or a grey pinstripe, as Bond does in Q’s lab, and with dark wool trousers and a knit at the weekend. A black derby with a rubber sole sits between the dress Oxford and the country shoe, and it is happiest in a city in the rain.
Where it does not belong. Not with black tie, which wants a patent or fine calf Oxford, and not with light summer linen, where a brown shoe looks better.
Black or brown? Crockett & Jones has also made the Norwich in dark brown. It is the more versatile shoe away from the office, but for the look in the film, and for a man who mostly wears grey and navy suits, we would choose black.
Care. Use cedar shoe trees every time you take them off, rest the pair for a day between wearings and polish them regularly. A rubber sole will outlast the upper, so look after the leather.
Buying. Availability has shifted over the years, with the shoe at times sold by special order only, so check with Crockett & Jones before you choose a size. Try them on in a shop if you can.
Specifications
| Model | Norwich, black calf |
|---|---|
| Style | Lace-up derby with straight toe cap, five eyelets |
| Upper | Calf leather |
| Sole | Dainite rubber |
| Last | 348 |
| Maker | Crockett & Jones |
Current price and sizes are on Crockett & Jones’s own page for the Norwich.
Questions
Is this the shoe Bond wears in Spectre?
Yes. Bond wears the black calf Crockett & Jones Norwich with his business suits in Mexico, in London and in the Oberhauser lair scene. His other shoes in the film, such as the Camberley boot and the Alex, are different models.
What is the difference between the Norwich and the Highbury?
The Norwich has a straight toe cap and five eyelets. The Highbury, from Skyfall, has a plain front and three eyelets. They share the same last, number 348, so the fit should be much the same.
Can you wear the Norwich with a suit?
Yes, and that is how Bond wears it. A black calf derby goes well with grey and navy business suits. Keep it away from black tie.
Where can you buy the Crockett & Jones Norwich?
From Crockett & Jones, which makes it. The shoe has at times been available by special order only, so check availability with the maker first.
More of Bond’s footwear is in our shoes section.
