Can fashion be art?

Norwich shoe industryResearch and Notes

The Norwich shoe industryThe shoe making industry in Norwich dates back to 1752. James Smith was a leather worker and started out in a small shop behind the Norwich markets, he was the first shoe maker in the country to offer alternative and bespoke footwear. In the 19th century, James Smiths grandson Charles Winter had inherited his commercial flair, and became the first shoemaker in the UK to use the newly invented sewing machine in the manufacture of his footwear.

Childrens shoes After the Great War, shoemaking, and many other industries, suffered from a lack of skilled workers and investment. Despite this Public knowledge that childrens shoes needed to be different to those made for adults was developing, also with the general healthcare knowledge. Result were soon shown, Southalls began to produce footwear for children which had a completely different shape to that made for adults, allowing room for growth and excess movement.

The manufacture of shoes Design Office: designer decided on a styleThe Pattern cutter: produced a master pattern for each size for leather & and other materials. A pattern grading machine than produced in cardboard, edged in metal, a series of patterns for each size & fitting of shoe.Clicking room: clickers cut the leather uppers Closing Room: Worked on the uppers Skivers: pared the leather where it is to be foldedCementers: put on adhesiveFolders: fold over and fasten raw edgesPerforators: punch out any decorations in upperMachinists then sewed uppers and lining together, using a machine similar to a domestic sewing machine.

Press & Preparing Room: worked on the bottom stock i.e preparing sole/insole/ heel included reducing soles to their exact shape and attaching heelsMaking Room : Attached soles to uppersEach upper was fitted with stiffeners and put with an insole on an appropriate last. Puller-over: pulled upper tightly over the last and tacked it securely to the insole in five places: Whole upper was then firmly tacked all around in a sequence of operations called lastingBottoming team: trimmed surplus leather and smoothed the bottom Soles were then attached either by cementing or sewingHeel was then attachedFinishing Room : tidied sole and waterproofedShoe room : socks, buckles and ornaments attached. Shoes cleaned and boxed.tradition

Norwich was famous for Ladies fashion and children's shoes. Today we still have Van Dal (Florida Shoe Factory) situated in Jarrolds and Start-rite maintaining that tradition.