Bostonian has been crafting men’s formal shoes for over 110 years. Established in 1899 by Charles Jones in Whitman, Massachusetts, Bostonian was the first premium men’s footwear label — and the first to introduce flexible dress shoes.
For much of the life of the business, the company manufactured its shoes in Somerset, building several factories in the area. The company’s Quaker ethos made provision for workers’ housing, education and leisure activities, while its keen social conscience kept Street ‘for many years. Rising costs and low productivity prompted the company to move production abroad, and while shoe design is still predominantly done in the United Kingdom, all manufacturing has now moved to India, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam. In 1993, redundant buildings at its Street site were opened as Clarks Village. which includes more than 90 shops. There are also coffee shops, refreshment stalls, and a dining area shared by fast food chains, mostly selling goods at a discount to high street prices.
The “Playdeck” sandal was made for men, women, and children, from the 1950s to the early 1990s A popular style of sandal, it consisted of a flat crepe sole unit, a leather insole, a plain ankle strap and two buckling straps, one at the instep and the other at the toes. It came in a variety of colors, but most popular were bamboo(tan), navy blue and white. Clarks reintroduced an almost exact copy of the original Playdeck style in their Spring 2010 Originals range, with a style called Kestral Soar, which is virtually identical to Playdeck save for a very small wedge in the heel.
