Clarks

When it comes to comfortable, stylish footwear, Clarks is the brand most consumers trust. For almost two centuries, the footwear manufacturer has created and designed shoes which people truly adore and love.

This British company started in 1825 when James Clark first thought of making slippers. After drawing inspiration from the sheepskin rugs that were from his brother Cyrus’ tannery, James managed to create the sheepskin slipper.

In 1842 sales of the sheepskin slipper, which was named “Brown Petersburg”, skyrocketed as a monthly average of 1000 pairs were sold. This handcrafted shoe became the footwear of choice for Englishmen. As sales flourished, Cyrus and James – who renamed their venture C&J Clark Limited – relied on outworkers to answer to the growing demand for the Brown Petersburg.

For years, business went smoothly for the Clark brothers. In 1851, they were even received two awards at the Great Exhibition, an event that showcased successful British businesses.

But in 1863, the Clarks found themselves a victim of the recession. In order to save their business, James and Clark turned to the Quaker community for a loan. Unfortunately, the loan necessitated James and Cyrus to step down and let William, James’ youngest son, to take over the company.

Although the transition was thought to be fatal for the company, it actually helped Clarks to flourish more. William helped modernize the process by investing in factory equipment, to help mass producing their products. Under his reign, C&J Clark relinquished its former glory, and has managed to pay the loan it owed to the Quaker community. To show his appreciation of the help the community extended upon his company when it was in deep trouble, William provided homes for his diligent workers.

In 1833, William introduced another footwear trend – the Hygienic range. It is the first shoe created to fit the shape of the foot. From then until now, this shoe remains to be Clarks’ most famous product.

By the turn of the century, Clarks continued to expand under the leadership as John, Roger, and Alice Clark joined the company. At the time women became the top consumer. In response to this emerging sector, Clarks created the female ankle shoe along with other a wide variety of women’s footwear.

With a lot of shoes on their shelves, Clarks ventured into advertising their products. In 1936, their first press ad was published. The company also introduced a children’s line and had chain store, Peter Lord to sell their products.

However as the Britain engaged in both of the World Wars, the company began to become deeply affected by the conflict. For instance in World War II, the main Clarks factory was used to make torpedoes. Also as both wars progressed it led to a shortage of raw materials, making it even more difficult for the company to produce their famous shoes. However with scarcity brought ingenuity as the company began to use other materials, such as wood in their products. Clarks resourcefully came up with a unique, hinged wooden shoe that can cater to the footwear needs of the nation.

Post-war, Clarks welcomed the growth of their company by opening 15 factories all over the United Kingdom. It also launched unique shoes such as the Desert Boot, which was created by Nathan Clark in 1950. By 1957 Clarks’ first flagship store opened in London’s Regents Street.

With time, Clarks found itself closing its UK factories and relocating them to overseas locations. Notwithstanding the location change, Clarks assures its customers that its shoes remain the same – comfy, stylish, and tough.

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