Edward Green established his shoemaking workshop in Northampton in 1890. His name soon became synonymous with the finest English Goodyear welted footwear. In 1978, amidst the movement toward lowering costs and outsourcing production, Edward Green was sold to an American who thought they could turn the company around. This failed tremendously, and the company was again sold to an employee and former refugee from communism, John Hlustik, this time for £1. John then managed to turn the company around by pursuing 'the best shoes without compromise.' In the process, he also introduced a wider range of leather colors to the London business scene, which traditionally only wore black. After Hlustik's death in 2000, the company has been run by his partner, Hilary Freeman, remaining true to the principles it set in 1890.