Page 30 - Shoeman no ch 1

26 Shoeman
department stores – Gimbels and, occasionally, Macys, and also the Hudson Bay Company in Canada. Gimbels, the department store, did so well with our classic English product in width ttings that they requested we held stock in the U.K. to give them a better service. It was very good business but we had to respond quickly. It was not uncommon to order at least 1,000 pairs during an American evening – by teletex – for despatch the following night. This often involved a personal drive by truck to Heathrow to a Pan Am freight depot that was a big Nissan-type hut on the perimeter track and no delays. Life was better then, and if you worked hard at the basics, you made good money. We also made Classic shoes for Next soon after they started having footwear in their shops. We worked with them for many years until welted shoes had a dip.
Most fashion themes, such as Teddy Boy creepers, (coming next) did not evaporate overnight but the demand gradually reduced so we concentrated on the North American market. Our strengths helped us in selling relationships. In looking back, we gave: –
*Enthusiasm, *Samples made in two days if needed, *The ability to negotiate deliv- ery and price at a meeting, *Good design, quality and materials, *A competitive price
This enabled us to make in-roads into the American market. My father undertook the American project and his maturity and experience was well-respected by the U.K. representatives of the American department stores, our principal customers. It was an era when lunching was important and my Dad always knew where to get a good meal.
Travel at this time was time-consuming with fuel stops for transatlantic planes and sea travel on the “Queens” was popular. My dad only went to the States once but that was on the Queen Elizabeth. Nevertheless, we did have frequent visits from buyers, some being U.K. friendly, having been here in the war. I don’t think we ever had any- one who had been with the Lockheed Liberators on Harrington aerodrome which was a pity. Our greatest success in the USA was making George Boots for the Dexter shoe company, a specialist product.
‘TEDDY BOY’ CREEPERS
This was the rst impact of men’s fashion after the war ended in 1945. It became a cult with the more extreme the better. Young men became ‘peacocks’ for their Saturday night out. The product had thick crepe soles – some with wedge heels and some with normal heels. The uppers had extensive decoration with interlacing or decora- tive panels on the aprons or forepart. The main upper materials were black or blue suede with some having black smooth leather and the occasional burgundy suede. The decorative uppers demanded more stitching input than the classic shoes. Margi’s youthful passion, (Elvis), was an energetic projection of the theme, in spite of being dominant only at the end of this theme’s life. All this product went exclusively to Denson.