Hertfordshire shoe maker wins Lifetime Achievement Award 2025

Jim McCormack has won the 2025 Heritage Crafts Lifetime Achievement Award, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, including a £1,000 prize awarded at a special presentation at Wentworth Woodhouse on Monday 17 November 2025

The award celebrates a heritage craftsperson who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to their specific craft over 25 years or more. It marks a lifetime’s dedication to a particular traditional skill, resulting in a practitioner operating at the highest level, having made a significant impact on the continued high-esteem in which their craft is held.

Jim McCormack is a bespoke shoemaker often referred to by his peers as the ‘Legend of Mayfair’ for his unparalleled skill and humble character. Since beginning his training in 1974, he has worked for the most legendary bespoke houses, including John Lobb, and has crafted footwear for members of the Royal Family. A passionate teacher, Jim has safeguarded critical knowledge, including the endangered French Pump technique, by mentoring a new generation of shoemakers.

The other two finalists for this year’s award were Stephen M Goldsmith, who has dedicated over 50 years to the highly specialised craft of polishing, including working on the world’s highest-end silverware and trophyware such as the Premier League trophies and the Americas Cup, and Mick Gregory, who has dedicated 51 years to the traditional and endangered craft of rattan furniture frame making, and is considered the UK’s foremost authority in the discipline, having personally trained 15 apprentices.

The Marsh Charitable Trust runs a portfolio of awards with a number of nationally and internationally recognised partners to celebrate the outstanding contributions of people who are committed to social, cultural and environmental causes.

Photo: Jim McCormack, winner of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, and Laura Southall, Heritage Crafts Trustee. Photo by Robert Wade.