Clarks

Brothers Cyrus and James Clark, who were members of the Society of Friends ( Quakers ), in 1825 created a company for the production of carpets and slippers from sheep's skins. Workers from the countryside worked for the company, and then it grew into a global brand of shoes that sells in Europe, the United States and the Far East ^[2] .

For most of the existence of the business, the company manufactured its shoes in Somerset by building several factories in the area. Thanks to the Quaker principles of the founders, the company provided its employees with housing, education and recreation and encouraged them to give up drinking for many years. Due to rising costs and poor productivity, the company was forced to move its production abroad, and while the design is mainly done in the UK, all production takes place in India, Brazil, Cambodia, China and Vietnam. In 1993, in the street of empty buildings, the Clarks Village was opened, which now has 90 stores. There is also a cafe, food stalls, fast food chains; all mostly trade cheaper than the main streets.

Clackers has created many iconic styles throughout her history, including Clarks “Wallabee”, Clarks “Desert” Boots, and Clackers Sandals “Playdeck”

“Playdeck” sandals were made for men, women and children from the 1950s to the early 1990s. ^[3] A popular style of sandals, they consisted of flat, one-piece crepe soles, leather insoles, a simple ankle strap and two straps, one for lifting the legs and the other for the toes. There was a choice of different colors, but the most popular were bamboo (tan), navy blue and white. Clarks again released an almost exact replica of the original Playdeck style in spring 2010 under the Originals range, with a style called Kestral Sor, which is pretty much the same as Playdeck except for a slightly raised heel. ^[four]

Clarks North America Logistics Center is located in Hanover , PA, USA. In recent years of growth, this facility has been recognized as a federal trade zone, and Clarks has expanded its storage locations throughout the city. ^[5]

Mark Clarks became a hit in Jamaica - thanks to a Jamaican dancehall -style musician Wibz Cartel .

Clarks shoes are very popular in the Caribbean, where prices are rising, shops are selling and thieves are focused on Clarks. ^[6] (This is not new since Klakrs has always been popular in Jamaica, and very popular with Jamaican rastafari ). Jamaican music star Vibz Cartel released a single called Clarkes last year (2010) with a cover featuring his favorite styles - Wallabees, Desert Boots and Desert Treks. The main line of the refrain is “Everybody haffi ask weh mi get mi Clarks”, which translates from the Jamaican dialect of English as: “And everyone needs to ask me where I get my Clarks.” ^[7] The song mentions that Elizabeth II wears Clarks. ^[8]

Over the years, and now decades, Clarks have become more and more known for their ranges of children's shoes and campaigns based on the theme "Back to School" ^[9] .

C & J Clark brands include Clarks; Pr! Vo; Indigo Artizian ; Bostonian ^[10] ; K Shoes; and Ravel Shoes.

• 1825: Cyrus Clark establishes a wool processing and stitching business in the village of Street, Somerset , England ^[2] .
• 1828: His brother James joins and they begin to produce Brown Peter slippers ^[2] .
• 1833: James becomes a full partner; the business is renamed C&J Clark Ltd ^[2] .
• 1863: William Clackre, son of James Clark inherited the company ^[2] .
• 1893: Production of the Hygienic line began to position Clackers as a manufacturer of comfortable ^[11] shoes.
• 1937: A company buys a retail store and renames it Peter Lord ^[11] .
• 1950: The company launches the successful Desert Boot.
• 1965: The first Clark Wallabee model is produced ^[11] .
• 1978: A company purchases a Hanover Shoe manufacturing and chain store in the United States ^[11] .
• 1979: The company buys the production and chain of stores from the Boston company, USA ^[11] .
• 1981: The company acquires K Shoes Ltd., a manufacturer and seller of shoes in Britain ^[11] .
• 1988: C&J Clark abandons his plans to become an open company ^[11] .
• 1993: A company puts itself up for sale, but refuses to be bought by Berisford ^[11] .
• 1996: The company begins restructuring, transforming from a production-oriented to a design-oriented end-user. ^[eleven]
• 2000: The company announces that it does not plan to become an open company in the near future ^[11] .
• 2001: The company acquires Elefanten, a manufacturer of children's shoes in Germany ^[11] .

2005: Clarks ceases to produce shoes in Somerset. ^[12]

• Sales turnover in 150 countries is 921 million pounds, about 40 million pairs of shoes;
• Worldwide, more than 700 Clarks shoe stores and about 1,500 branded departments are open;
• Clarks has over 12,000 employees.
• Walter White , the hero of the television show Breaking Bad, wears Clarks Wallabee boots.

• Official site