p.18-19 made in britain 6:FOOTWEAR NEW TEMPLAT 10 08 20/05/2009 13:32 Page 19
Made in Britain
BARKER NPS SHOES
The Northamptonshire Productive Society
(NPS (Shoes) Ltd) - was founded in 1881 as
a cooperative organisation – a commercial
concern owned and run by the people
working in it.
Based in the traditional English
shoemaking region of Northamptonshire,
NPS moved into its current premises
around 1900. The firm has continued to
meet the demands of market trends
associated with high-quality fashion and
industrial footwear, by combining shoes. The firm manufactures its own
craftsmanship with modern production range of stitched-through footwear, as well
equipment and technology. as safety footwear - it even makes boots
At the turn of this century, facing tough for punk rock bands! On a trip around the
Barker began life in 1880 when Arthur Barker trading conditions, NPS was on the verge factory you will see fireman’s steel toe
employed skilled craftsmen to make boots in his of collapse. In 2006, Ivor Tilley, who lives safety footwear, burnished tan brogues
cottage in Earls Barton. Being a shrewd business- in Wollaston, the village where the factory and 30 eyelet red patent high leg
man Arthur Barker recognised the potential and is located, decided to get involved. He boots, sitting alongside each other on
had premises built to begin shoe manufacture. became the new owner, driving it into a production racks.
The company continued to prosper, making niche, marketing position. The company's Solovair brand of
army boots for the infantry in World War 1 and As Mr. Tilley explains: “We owe much of air cushion footwear is now available
flight boots for the RAF in World War 2. In 1986 our success to our select group of through retailers from Dusseldorf to
Barker moved to a purpose built factory in Earls customers who still believe that British is Tokyo and the market is steadily growing.
Barton just yards from the original site. Today best, relying on us for our quality, Making under agreement for several other
Barker manufactures in excess of 140,000 pairs of adaptability and our acceptance of even well known brands means the factory is
men’s shoes on this site and continues to use the the smallest quantity orders”. currently extremely busy and country
same time honoured skills and processes which Today, with a staff of just 35 people, NP footwear and creepers are now a common
have established Barker as one of the world’s produces a diverse range of footwear, site to visitors.
premium shoemaking brands. including high quality Goodyear welted Web: www.nps-solovair.co.uk
It takes over 200 operations to make a Barker
Goodyear Welted shoe in a process that takes
precise, Made in England, which is where most shoes
approximately eight weeks to complete. A
reassuring mark of quality in a world where
in Britain are made). The cost of imports is making
pace is ever increasing.
that easier to justify on price grounds, and if we seek
Web: www.barker.co.uk
out quality for which Britain is justifiable renown we
can buy good shoes that will last.
carbon footprint of a Valentine’s Day bouquet flown in
from Kenya, children chastise their parents for getting The traditional English shoe industry
into the car to drive to the shop to buy a pint of milk. The traditional English shoe industry was highly
Shoes that are sourced outside the UK have a huge regarded from the middle of the 19th Century,
carbon footprint. They are generally manufactured in sought-after worldwide for its unique craft of
locations that pay less heed to environmental Goodyear welting. The demand for a hand crafted
considerations than we do in the UK. The shoes are bench made shoe declined rapidly in the 80's with the
shipped from across the world at a heavy cost to the rise and rise of the trainer. Northampton was and
environment. remains the heart of the English shoe industry, where
We can salve our environmental consciences by the majority of the factories have closed, leaving only
buying shoes that are Made in Britain (or, to be more a few still active today.
DB SHOES
DB Shoes was formed in 1920 in Rushden, Over the last 7 years, DB Shoes has
Northamptonshire, by identical twins, Jack concentrated on developing its wide to
and Bill Denton. During the 1970’s, under extreme width fitting shoe business, under
the stewardship of Jack’s sons, John and its “easy b” brand and is now one of the
Hugh Denton, DB Shoes was at the most important brands in this market
forefront of moulding technology. The segment. Nowadays, “easy b” “the perfect
company was one of the first shoe fit for wider feet™” is the brand of choice
manufacturers, outside the Clark’s group, for people who require wide (EE fitting) to
to embrace direct Polyurethane (PU) extremely wide (EEEEEEEE fitting) shoes in
moulding technology. Today, PU injection the UK, recommended by foot health
moulded footwear constitutes the core of professionals.
all footwear products sold. Web: www.dbshoes.co.uk
JUNE/JULY 2009
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FOOTWEAR TODAY
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