It began with a flash of inspiration. It was 1825 in the Somerset village of Street and James Clark was busy working at the tannery owned by his brother, Cyrus. Among the sheepskin rugs, the off-cuts and cast-offs were piling up when James had a brainwave: ñSlippers!î. And the rest, as they say, is history. A few stitches and a few years later, the sheepskin slipper was born. It was the very first Clarks shoe and the opening chapter in a remarkable story that continues to unfold to this day. In the decades that have passed since the young Mr. ClarkÍs eureka moment our shoes have seen social, political and economic revolution. TheyÍve seen fashions in footwear come and go, and come again _ everything from court shoes and winklepickers to wedge heels, sandals and sneakers. TheyÍve tapped to the beat of crooners, rockers, Britpoppers and hip hoppers. TheyÍve walked, marched, strode and sashayed through an ever-changing world. New technology, state-of the-art facilities and our love of shoes means weÍre not only the number one shoe brand in the UK. With continuing growth in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, India and China, weÍre also the worldÍs largest casual and smart shoe company and the fourth largest footwear company on the planet. WeÍve come a long way since Cyrus and James Clark and the ïBrown PetersburgÍ. But their vision and passion live on in our shoes. You could say weÍre following in their footsteps.