One of the largest and most respected footwear companies in the world, Clarks begain in 1825, in a tiny English village called Somerset. Making close to 35 million pairs of shoes per year, Clarks is also one of the oldest shoe companies in the world, and the largest in England.
Focusing on style, comfort, quality and authenticity, Clarks has remained a leader in footwear globally.
The company was originally started by the Quaker brothers, Cyrus and James Clark, who worked a business making sheepskin rugs and slippers. Since then, Clarks has created a number of iconic styles. One such style is the Playdeck sandal, which was made for men, women and children, from the 1970s to the early 1990s. They also created the Clark Wallabees, while still very popular around the world, has popped in and out of fashion for over 50 years.
Clarks History At a Glance:
- 1825: Cyrus Clark founds a tanning and wool stapling business in the village of Street, in Somerset, England.
- 1828: Joined by brother James, Clark begins producing sheepskin slippers, called the Brown Peter.
- 1833: James becomes a full partner; business is renamed C&J Clark Ltd.
- 1863: William Clark, son of James Clark, takes over the company.
- 1893: The introduction of the “Hygienic” line of shoes begins the company’s focus as a “comfort” shoemaker.
- 1937: The company acquires a retail shoe store chain and renames it Peter Lord.
- 1950: The company launches the successful Desert Boot.
- 1965: The first Clark Wallabee model is launched.
- 1978: The company acquires the Hanover Shoe manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
- 1979: The company acquires the Bostonian shoe manufacturing and retail business in the United States.
- 1981: The company acquires K Shoes Ltd., a U.K.-based shoe manufacturer and retailer.
- 1988: C&J Clark abandons its plans to go public.
- 1993: The company puts itself up for sale, then rejects an offer to buy from Berisford.
- 1993: Redundant buildings at its Street site were opened as Clarks Village, the UK’s first outlet shopping centre.
- 1996: The company begins restructuring, transforming itself from a manufacturing-oriented business to a consumer-driven, design-oriented branded products group.
- 2000: The company announces that it has decided not to go public for the near future.
- 2001: The company acquires Elefanten, a children’s shoe manufacturer in Germany.
- 2005: Clarks ends shoe manufacturing in Somerset.
Almost 200 years of shoe making, and they are still the best.
