Clarks has so much to offer

posted by Caroline Grant
8 December 2014

I’m a Somerset lad, born and bred, and I’ve always been proud that such a large brand originates from my home town of Street. After leaving college I went to work in the footwear department of a big sports brand, which is where I developed my keen interest in footwear. Once that happened there was only one company to join!

I currently work in Product Development. In particular, I’m part of a team with Range Managers and Designers, creating the shoes that you see in our Women’s ranges. It’s our job to ensure that our products are commercially acceptable and meet the high standards that customers expect of the Clarks brand.

It’s really interesting work. Recently I made a pair of kid’s shoes in a Veldt construction, which you commonly see in our iconic Desert Boots. It’s a difficult shoe to construct if you don’t have all the correct machinery that we have in our factories and I had to do it completely by hand in our workshop here in HQ. I was really pleased with the end product and I was able to produce a cost sheet and fit the style myself with no real issues. So a great success!

I always look to innovate new ideas for Clarks as well as keep up to date with what our competitors are doing to see if we can incorporate or evolve those developments. Our main challenge is to make sure our products can be made with enough margin and within our target prices. At the same time we have to ensure that our products are as comfortable, lightweight and flexible as possible for our customers. People expect these things from our brand, and it’s why they continue to shop with us.

I enjoy my role and take a keen interest in it, but it’s the guidance of the managers we have here that really makes you excel. Clarks has shown real faith in me during the 5 years I’ve been here and continue to do so. The people I’ve worked with have made life here that little bit more enjoyable and I’ve made some great friends during my journey so far. So, from my perspective, the people around me are very important if I want to succeed. I’d say we have the most experienced and knowledgeable footwear developers in the industry and I think it’s imperative for me to digest as much of their knowledge as possible.

I’ve been given great opportunities to train and develop new skills and experience. In fact, I was one of the first people to complete the British Footwear Association course in Footwear Technology. I’ve also been lucky enough to take up secondments as a Last Modelist, Adult Fit Assessor and Leather Co-Ordinator. Understanding all these roles and the skills required to do each one has been paramount for progressing in my job. One of the great highlights was staying in China for 5 weeks to work with our teams out there and learn about production. This has put me in good stead for doing our Range Reviews and now I’ll be revisiting China every season.

Clarks has so much to offer. Employees have the luxury of 33% discount on products by Clarks… which can come in particularly handy when your styles pop up in our stores! I have already taken up the attractive pension scheme with Clarks and also the share scheme is another reason to get involved. You can rest assured that you will get all the support needed for you to have a successful career here. I aim to repay Clarks over the years for the faith and opportunities they have given me.

When I’m not designing shoes, the main thing that keeps me busy is my passion for football… whether it’s going to watch Yeovil Town, watching it from the comfort of my own home or putting on my boots. I play Senior League football for a local side and recently had the chance to turn out for FA National League Futsal with Bath which looks an exciting prospect. I even get to enjoy a game with a team of colleagues, playing regularly on a local 3G pitch!

Brad - Footwear Technologist - Street, Somerset, UK 

Categories: Footwear | Street | Product |