Clarks, which started production in a workshop in England at the beginning of the 19th century, is today the number one in the world in footwear with a turnover of several billion dollars.
Clarks is also the manufacturer of the iconic 'Desert Boots', which are produced for the British army and are the symbol of the '60 generation'.
British shoe company Clarks is very different from 'any shoemaker' in many ways. It was the first to use the sewing machine in the industry. It produced the first rubber sole. One of the first companies to use the technology that performs the bonding process on shoes with laser beams... Clarks, which has been standing upright for almost two centuries, is like a living witness to history...
It witnessed the Industrial Revolution and the World Wars. It even knew how to "take advantage" of the war's conditions. Thus, it turned from a workshop in a small town in England into a world giant with billions of dollars in turnover.
Clarks, the world leader of the industry that covers all shoes except sports shoes, which are called 'brown-black' shoes, aims to produce very healthy and comfortable shoes out of 'elegant' shoes. It is one of the few locomotive companies that can make discovery in the shoe industry in the world. Its aim is to minimize foot and shoe related problems in many areas from sweating to leg pain. That's why it works like an R&D company and develops various comfort and health mechanisms. It even makes special gel-like soles for handicapped feet and diabetics.
SHEEP SKIN SLIPPER
It was founded in 1825 near Bristol, England. It has a very long history. It is named after its founder, the Clark family. Cyrus Clark sets out to work with determination in a town called Street Somerset. He started by making 'sheepskin slippers' in a small workshop. Three years later, his brother James Clark joins him. In 1842, the two brothers start selling 12,000 pairs of shoes a year. When the calendar shows 1850, the annual sales figures are 22 thousand pounds.
There are several breaking points in the company's long history. Singer's invention of the sewing machine at the start of the Industrial Revolution marks a turning point for Clarks. The forward-thinking Clark brothers are one of the first Britons to buy the Singer sewing machine. In this way, they go into mass production. Thus, Clarks writes its name in history as the first company to use the sewing machine in the shoe industry.
With the smart investments of the two brothers, the Clarks name becomes a brand over the years. As new generations come to power, Clarks begins to think more 'globally'. Speeding up mass production in the 1920s. Family members return with new machines and new ideas from trips to countries such as the USA, Switzerland, Italy, France and the Czech Republic.
World War II marks a new beginning for Clarks. In the 1950s, the legendary 'Desert Boot' model was created with the inspiration of soldiers whose feet were devastated in the desert in Egypt. The sales of these boots, which have been worn for exactly 54 years, reached 10 million pairs in the 1990s. By the 1960s, Clarks is starting to become a 'world player'. Desert boots are becoming one of the symbols of the '60 generation youth' all over the world.
The company, which attaches great importance to research and development activities, produces the first artificial-soled shoes using rubber in the 1960s. It was Clarks who made the first sole made of polyurethane, a derivative of petroleum, in the 1970s. This results in products that are more durable and lighter than rubber. Again in the 60s, the cost of producing in England increased. For this reason, Clarks moves its production out of England to countries where they can produce more cheaply. They start to travel to China at first. Clarks still does not manufacture in the UK today. It has a multinational production in countries such as China, Vietnam, Portugal and Brazil. It has its own companies in North America, European countries and China.
The interesting story of the Desert Boat
Clarks has a legendary product called the 'Desert Boot'. A member of the Clarks family sees the leather shoes of British soldiers shattered during the war in Egypt. He is developing a new product inspired by the 'desert shoes' worn by the Egyptians. Thus, this is the first 'ready-soled' shoe to be used in the army. In the 1960s, these shoes became the shoes of the Hippies. Thus, Clarks' fame spreads across America.
The cause of the pain is the wrong shoes:
- 85% of diseases such as waist, neck and spine pain are caused by the wrong shoes.
- 60% of women suffer from bone spurs. Side pressing problem is also common.
- A foot releases 250 centiliters of sweat a day. Leather shoes make you sweat less, but they become unstable.