“We employ a team of designers from all four corners of the globe. They seek inspiration from the world’s fashion capitals and catwalks, from the melting pot of modern Britain as well as from the Clarks styles – more than 22,000 of them – that are stored under the watchful eye of our archivists.

Our designers’ creations are unique. Pen, paper and computer aided design – CAD for short – play their part. So too do the time-honoured traditions of the master shoemaker. Take the last. Every new style takes shape around a bespoke wooden last that’s hand-carved by our own last makers. A three-dimensional model of the human foot, it’s used by our designers and shoemakers as a drawing board for the refinements, finishing touches and flourishes that help us create shoes that feel as good as they look.

The designer’s vision complete, state-of-the-art rapid prototyping creates the master used to produce a real prototype. Using leathers and suedes carefully selected by our leather workers, each prototype is crafted, hand-stitched by machine and perfect in every detail. From fit to fit for purpose, every prototype must pass as many as 50 punishing tests in the lab as well on real feet in real situations.

Only one in three designs meets our exacting demands and is good enough to bear the Clarks name.”