FOOTWEAR FAMILIES
I
t began with a flash of inspiration. The young James Clark was an apprentice in his brother Cyrus’ sheepskin rug-making business,
established in 1825 in the Somerset village of Street. Among the rugs, the shorter-haired off- cuts were piling up when James had a brainwave: “Slippers!” And the rest, as they say, is history. A few stitches later, the Clark brothers had taken their first steps into footwear production. It was the very first Clarks shoe and the opening
chapter in a remarkable story that continues to unfold to this day. In the decades that have passed since the young Mr Clark’s eureka moment our shoes have seen social, political and economic revolution. They’ve seen fashions in footwear come and go, and come again – everything from court shoes and winklepickers to wedge heels, sandals and sneakers. They’ve tapped to the beat of crooners, rockers, Britpoppers and hip hoppers. They’ve walked, marched, strode and sashayed through an ever-changing world. Our feet, meanwhile, have stayed firmly rooted
in Street. It’s where Clarks started. It’s where our heart lies.
28 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JANUARY 2014
And still, as always, we put that heart into every pair of our shoes to create stylish footwear that protects and cares for our customers’ feet.
Slippers, prizes and sewing machines Britain was perhaps at its greatest in the 1800s. Queen Victoria was on the throne from 1837 to just beyond the end of the century and reigned over a time of phenomenal economic, colonial and industrial growth. And while Charles Dickens gripped the nation with his storytelling skills, engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel got it moving via his remarkable tunnels, bridges, railway lines and steam ships. For Cyrus and James Clark business was booming. Their sheepskin slipper, named the ‘Brown Petersburg’, was a huge success. Within years of its unveiling, its unique design graced feet the length and breadth of the country and by 1842 sales were averaging 1000 pairs a month. The ‘Brown Petersburg’ was made by hand in
1825 - 1900:
Street. The brothers – now trading as a partnership – relied on outworkers to meet the
growing demand. The workers collected the leather from the business premises, cut to shape, and took the whole lot home and turned it into slippers and shoes. Production was often a family affair – everyone did their bit of hammering and stitching. Then, every Friday, all the finished footwear would be taken to Cyrus and James and swapped for wages.
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