Shoes and Costume

Explore some of the 25,000+ items of footwear held by the Alfred Gillett Trust.

Many of these were made by Clarks and associated companies such as K Shoes.

The historic and world shoe collections encompass centuries of shoe history, including fragments of Roman sandals and medieval shoes as well as a rich array of women’s, men’s and children’s shoes throughout the ages.

As well as the footwear collection, the Trust also holds extensive ranges of accessories, tools, machinery and lasts associated with each stage of the shoemaking process.

The shoe collection is currently being digitised. Further information is available on this exciting project, which started in 2014.

The Trust’s shoe handling guidelines outline how shoes must be handled by Trust staff and visitors in order to preserve the lifespan of the shoes for future generations. These guidelines are available for those interested in learning more about shoe preservation.

Costume

The Trust holds a number of small costume collections originating from members of the Clark family. These include a variety of Quaker domestic costume items, mainly 19^th century, as well as some 20^th century pieces used for family theatricals.