About Us
Find out how a family brand became a global story. A remarkable journey with over 100,000 objects to explore from fossils to factory machines covering 200 years of shoemaking history.
About Shoemakers Museum
Shoemakers Museum is a brand new visitor experience which opened to the public in September 2025. A family-friend attraction that celebrates 200 years of shoemaking history through the eyes of the shoemakers, telling the stories behind Clarks shoes in the place where it all began in Street, Somerset.
Discover a remarkable collection of over 100,000 objects, highlights of which will be on display in the museum’s four galleries: Welcome to Street, Making shoes, Selling and buying, and Fossils.
Most people will have a memory of their favourite shoes and Shoemakers Museum is a new destination for visitors to meet the makers and celebrate and share their stories.
Discover the history of Clarks shoes
Somerset was once the largest producer of footwear in Britain and the Quaker family business Clarks was at the forefront. The first Brown Petersberg slippers were created in Street in 1825. Over the decades C&J Clark factories grew in number and the footwear they produced became a feature of British culture from our first fitted shoes and daily work wear to the Northern Soul dancefloors of the 1960s and Britpop scene of the 90’s. Production moved outside of the UK as UK industry declined, however the headquarters remain in Street. Today the collections of the Alfred Gillett Trust tell a unique 200 year history of the Street-based business and its global impact.
History of Clarks in Street
The Alfred Gillett Trust
The Alfred Gillett Trust is a registered charity that cares for the Clark’s family collections and Quaker archives. In 2021 the Trust purchased the Clarks Shoes corporate collections of the creating a unique archive of British business history. After many years of preparation planning permission was granted for a museum in 2023. Shoemakers Museum has been created and will open to the public in September 2025 making these unique collections public.
Awards for Shoemakers Museum
Shoemakers Museum, launched as a new tourist experience in late 2025, is already attracting attention and recognition from audiences at home and overseas. In recent months, it has received widespread recognition across the architecture, museum, heritage and tourism sectors. The project was named Client of the Year at the Architects’ Journal 100 Awards and won both the Tourism and Leisure and Property of the Year categories at the Michelmores Property Awards. It was also shortlisted for three Brick Awards in the Sustainability, Public Building and Craftsmanship categories, as well as being named a finalist for Best Family Experience at the Muddy Stilettos Awards and Permanent Exhibition of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards. Internationally, Shoemakers Museum has been shortlisted for the prestigious European Museum Academy Luigi Micheletti Award, with the ceremony taking place later in 2026.
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Enjoy a visit to Shoemakers Museum and book your ticket today. The museum is open daily 10-4pm.
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What's new
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News
Awards for Shoemakers Museum
Shoemakers Museum is enjoying recognition across the architecture, museum, heritage and tourism sectors through a number of recent award nominations.
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Summer holidays are here
Summer holiday activities for all the family to enjoy are happening at Shoemakers Museum. Outdoor theatre, trails, crafting, murals and our big birthday celebration.
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Collection
CICA Blades 1990s football boots
Clarks established CICA as a high-spec sports shoe line. A defining milestone in CICA’s history was the introduction of CICA Blades, football boots launched in the mid-1990s
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News
Take a Walk in Our Shoes: June exhibition and workshops
A new exhibition at Shoemakers Museum features works on identity, place and the stories we create by four local artists this Pride month.
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On permanent display
Visit the permanent exhibition
Support us
Can you help put the finishing touches to Shoemakers Museum? From developing our education services to creating our gardens and grounds your donation will help create an experience to remember.
Shoemakers Give a Little donation page