Barker Footwear (Pty)

Barker Footwear (Pty)

Barker Footwear (Pty) was established in 1933, when Ernest Barker from Earls Barton in England brought a small group of skilled craftsmen to Cape Town with the intention of setting up a shoe factory in the shadow of Table Mountain. This successful venture was further reinforced in 1952 when the company acquired the rights to manufacture shoes under the Crockett & Jones brand.

Barker Footwear (Pty) manufactures high quality welted and stuck-on men’s leather shoes under its own brands: Barker, Crockett & Jones, which are well sought-after by discerning men.

In 2013 Bolton Footwear acquired Barker Footwear (Pty).

The earliest history of Bolton Footwear dates back to 1859. Charles Searle, an immigrant from England, settled as a tollkeeper at Great Brak River. Like many South Africans living in remote areas, he began making his own rugged leather veldschoen stitch-down boots which he supplied to the operators of the ox-wagon trains transporting goods between Cape Town in the West and Port Elizabeth in the East.

In the decades that followed, the company diversified its interests, incorporating a tannery, sawmill, a timber home construction division, retail shops, as well as automotive sales and services. During the 1990’s it dis-invested from all activities which were not related to footwear.