Clarks Shoes is manufactured by the British manufacturer C. and J. Clark Ltd., which is located in Somerset, England. The company is one of the top shoe manufacturers in the country. Beginning in 1825, Clarks Shoes became a part of the changing history of England as it became the footwear of different generations of the English and has been a witness to the political, social and economic revolutions of the land. Clarks Shoes has a variety of footwear products ranging from winklepickers and court shoes to sandals, heeled shoes and sneakers.

At present, Clarks Shoes is known for their special technologies including the Ortholite, GORE-TEX, Flex Light, and Active Air.

The history of Clarks shoes

Clarks Shoes began in 1825, in the village of Street in Somerset, where James Clark, while working in his brother’s (Cyrus’) tannery, was inspired by creating a footwear. While looking at the accumulating sheepskin rugs that are off-cuts and had to be discarded, James saw the idea of creating slippers from the pile.

The slipper made from sheepskin was named Brown Petersburg and marked the beginning of the success of Clarks Shoes. Because there was no factory, the brothers have to get outworkers to bring the materials to their homes where they sew the shoes by hand.

The recession in 1863 caused Clarks Shoes to become updated with newer shoemaking technologies. Under the management of William, the youngest son of James Clark, the company invested in getting a Singer sewing machine, which was technological breakthrough in the creation of shoes.

The year 1883 marks the launch of the first pair of shoes that fits the shape of the feet. This improvement is still the foundation of the Clarks shoes technology.

In the first half of the 1900’s, Clarks Shoes gave more efforts in expanding the company through advertisements. The first ad for Clarks Shoes was launched in 1936. The company also had a chain of stores, the Peter Lord, which were in operation in the 1990’s.

In the second half of the 1900’s, the factory in Street can no longer support the increasing demand for Clarks Shoes. Fifteen factories, as well as stores and shops, were opened in nearby locations.

Going into the 2000’s, the cost of manufacturing the shoes in the UK can no longer make Clarks Shoes cost competitive. The company had to make the decision to transfer the factories to other countries while maintaining the quality that Clarks Shoes is known for.

Clarks shoes in the media

Rappers Ghostface Killah and Method Man both mentioned the Wallabee Shoes from Clarks. The shoes also appeared in the Ironman, an album launched by Ghostface Killah.