Footwear

The first Brown Petersburgs show the company’s origins, while the different ranges highlight its core values over time. Play-Ups emphasized the brand’s focus on foot health and children’s first shoes. The Serenity and Skyline ranges are examples of stylish women’s footwear. The company’s men’s footwear collection includes collaborations with designers, most notably with Hardy Amies

The collections include samples showing the development of footwear designs through the decades including recognisable designs like the Desert Boot, Wallabee and Joyance Sandal and collaborations with famous designers, artists and style influencers.

Historical boots, shoes, sandals, and even concealed footwear demonstrate how footwear has evolved over the centuries, With examples of changing fashions, materials, and techniques. Our collections include examples of Roman, medieval, and pre-20^th Century shoes.

Footwear by Clarks and their subsidiaries, are supplemented with examples created by other companies operating within Britain and Europe. From Norvic and Church & Co. Ltd., based in England, to European-based manufacturers such as Bally, this footwear collection illustrates the evolution of footwear fashion and styles aimed at the British market in the modern-day era.

Shoes collected from cultures across the world feature in the collections. Although not a comprehensive ethnographic collection each example is of interest for its own story of style, shoemaking technique, creativity or use.