The origins of the Street-based firm of Clarks date back to 1825 when two brothers, Cyrus and James Clark, established a sheepskin-tanning business. The family-run firm went on to pioneer revolutionary designs for shoes, based on the natural contours of the feet, an obvious concept but one that had not been developed until the 1800s. In the 20th Century, Clarks developed the idea of desert boots, vulcanised rubber soles and later polyurethane soles. Despite recession and a wider choice of footwear, its shoes remain brand leaders. In January 2005, the company announced it would switch production to the Far East in an attempt to save costs and revealed, as a result, it would close its factory at Dowlish Ford near Ilminster - in effect ending the tradition of shoe-making in Somerset. The company's headquarters and warehouse survived the cutbacks and its old buildings in Street formed a 'factory outlet', where the sound of Singers was replaced by the jingle of cash registers. The Points West films showing workers at Clarks indicate that the process of shoe making - in so far as technology was concerned - changed very little from the 50s through to the 80s. Workers can be seen using hand-controlled sewing machines to stitch shoes together - there seemed little room for automation in the industry. The final film in the sequence is a report on how Clarks faced the pressure of cheaper foreign imports - from 'commicon' countries - the equivalent of the European common market. It seemed to be a matter of fair trade (in a real British sense) and everyone playing by the same rules. However, as 2005 indicated, the continued pressure on UK manufacturing to compete with emerging economies, such as China and the Far East in general, was enough for Clarks. The result saw the closure of their Somerset manufacturing base - effectively, their last factory in the UK. They - like many others, including James Dyson based in Wiltshire - have headed east to keep down manufacturing costs. Some would call it natural economic progress. But, for the thousands of Somerset people whose families grew up with shoe making in their blood, the decision remains a difficult one to wear. More films from BBC Points West Use the right-hand links to other local Where I Live sites to see more archive film from Points West.
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