Shoemaker backs UK

CLARKS is opening a manufacturing unit at its headquarters in Somerset, creating up to 80 jobs.

The facility in Street will have the capacity to produce 300,000 pairs of the shoe retailer’s iconic Desert Boots, and will use ‘robotassisted’ technology for the first time.

Technical and managerial jobs will be created in the village, where shoe manufacturing was first started by the company nearly 200 years ago in 1825. Desert Boots are made in Vietnam and India.

Chief executive Mike Shearwood said: ‘We are delighted to be bringing shoe manufacturing back to the UK and creating a significant number of highly skilled jobs.’