Thriving footwear firms
Just as it was a centre for knitwear, hosiery and coalmining, Leicestershire once had a glorious and thriving boot and shoe-making industry.
In the early to mid-20th century, Leicester and towns such as Earl Shilton, Sileby and Syston were a hive of activity with thousands employed in making footwear.
At its peak, the city's shoe industry made more goods than anywhere in the country, with 130 shoe and boot factories.
By the 1990s, cheap overseas imports meant it was harder to compete, leading to factory closures and the loss of thousands of jobs.
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Operations run by companies such as Stead & Simpson and T Crick & Co have made way for modern buildings, and within the last decade the Liberty shoe building in Leicester's Eastern Boulevard was leveled to make way for flats.
Equity Shoes, founded in 1886, and once employed more than 250 workers, went under three years ago. The Equity Shoe building, in Western Road, is now flats.
The British United Shoe Machinery Co, founded in 1886. It had 200 staff at the turn of the last century. In 1996, most of the business moved to Middlesbrough, and the company went into receivership in 2000.
Comments
by 4_Stroke
Thursday, November 01 2012, 3:04PM
“The title says "Thriving footwear firms" then goes on to say that they have all gone. So where does the "Thriving" bit fit in?”
by suenorthedge
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 5:07PM
“Does anyone remember Highcross shoes which was in front of the Zion chapel on Humberstone Rd and was pulled down in the early 70's and then it moved to the corner of Melton Rd and Woodbridge road 'Premier' works before sadly closing down in the 80's. I worked there in the late 60's early 70's and they were some of the best days of my life.”