Tim Little: the owner of Grenson footwear on his journey from Adidas ad man to sole trader
For this week’s episode of Homing In, Matt Gibberd talks to Tim Little, who – after zigging and zagging his way through the worlds of marketing, advertising and, latterly, shoes – now sits at the head of Grenson, the traditional cordwainers that have been handcrafting boots and brogues in Northamptonshire since 1866. He’s been in post since 2010, during which time Tim has entirely reinvigorated the heritage brand, not only developing its e-commerce platform and but opening a raft of bricks-and-mortar shops in London. Impressive stuff. No wonder Matt got his bristle brushes out…
“At the time of recording, Tim was knee-deep in building works at home, so I polished up my Chelsea boots for a visit to his London studio.
“As always, I asked him to describe his life story through the lens of the homes he’s lived in over the years.
“It was particularly interesting to find out more about his current home, which he bought after seeing it on our website and falling instantly in love. It’s a mid-century masterpiece set in splendid isolation near Rye, in East Sussex.
“A celebration of craftsmanship comes through in everything that Tim is about. His father was a textile manufacturer, and he’s inherited a fascination with how things are made and the excitement of seeing something take shape on the factory floor.
“He tells me about his background in advertising, when he was given the most thrilling brief of all time: ‘Make Adidas cool again’. Having been given the keys to one of the world’s most established brands, he was inspired to start his eponymous footwear company and ultimately take over Grenson.
“Tim is a lovely guy – very humble and grounded – and I really enjoyed getting to know him through the course of this conversation.”
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