92 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NORWICH AND DISTRICT 
cashmere cloth. ‘The styles usually favoured were boots with curved tops 
of ‘ side spring’ or ‘laced’ or button-up design with scalloped button- 
pieces. Shoes also were made, chiefly of laced or buttoning pattern. 
The soles were either attached by rivets or, in the case of better shoes, 
sewn on. 
Comparing these early productions with the present-day standard of 
excellence it is easy to realise the tremendous strides invention and science 
have made in the shoe-manufacturing industry. 
Throughout the long period of industrial development the change 
from slow handicraft to highly skilled sub-sectional methods can be traced. 
No longer does a shoemaker perform all the operations hitherto done 
laboriously by hand; machinery has superseded these methods so 
much than now one hundred distinct operations are essential for the pro- 
duction of each shoe. This necessarily means that the old handcraft- 
manship is in danger of being lost ; happily, however, this factor has not 
been overlooked, as will be seen in a later reference to our City College. 
Apart from this, from the early stages to the present day much has 
taken place within the industry which is worthy of record. It has been 
mentioned that the city received a serious set-back with the loss of its 
weaving industry—coming to more recent times it should be mentioned 
that prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 approximately 30 per cent. to 
40 per cent. of the footwear produced in Norwich was for overseas trade. 
The declaration of war naturally meant that this export trade was greatly 
restricted. ‘The factories being deprived of a great part of their output, 
attention was immediately turned to the production of footwear for His 
Majesty’s Forces. Only those actually engaged within the industry can 
really understand how great this change was. Factories had necessarily 
to be reorganised for the production of heavier goods and operatives 
trained to meet the demand the Government made upon the resources 
of the trade. ‘Thousands of pairs of boots for the British, Italian and 
Russian armies were produced. 
Upon the cessation of hostilities in 1918 Norwich found its markets 
for export trade practically gone. The difficulties of the Great War 
and the consequential repercussion upon our colonies and other countries 
necessitated the production of their own footwear, leaving Norwich in a 
very serious position indeed during the year 1919 and the immediate years 
that followed. Again the staple industry of the city was threatened with 
disaster. Faced with this set-back the manufacturers of the city once 
again showed their enterprise, perseverance and dogged determination 
to overcome obstacles. To fill this gap a method had to be devised. 
The introduction of fashion shoes for ladies proved to be the remedy. 
Our stylists determined that styles and vogues should be changed fre- 
quently. Lasts, patterns, designs, colours and materials were used to 
aid this undertaking and by this means a greater number of shoes than 
hitherto were to be found in every lady’s wardrobe. 
The popularity of dancing not only influenced Norwich trade, but lent 
valuable assistance to the project, as both factories and operatives were 
well equipped and trained for the production of light satin, brocade, 
crépe-de-chine, etc., footwear, suitable for such purposes. 
