Rushden Research Group: Fox's Shoes

Tecnic (Children's) Shoes - Fox's Shoes

Tecnic Shoes

About 1930, a factory in Park Road, Rushden was purchased by Mr. Tarry and sub-let to the company. At the end of the war Mr. R. Fox (son of Sidney Fox) was put in charge of the Park Road factory and Mr. Ernest Newell became Company Secretary and Sales Manager of the Bedford Road factory and later a Director.

Note: Sidney T Fox was a local schoolmaster and he joined the board setting up a new company - Tecnic Shoes. He enlisted soon after war was declared in 1915, and sadly was killed in 1917. Sidney had been a mason, and his son Ronnie (born c1910) was looked after by the Masonic movement, who sent him to a grammar school. He was then taken on by Tecnic Shoes, but at the start of WWII he enlisted. When he returned at the end of the war he was put in charge of the Park Road factory, and in 1948 they started to make children's shoes there. To differentiate from the main Tecnic section, it was retitled Fox's Shoes, and continued for about 20 or 30 years, but then changed to ladies' fashion shoes.

The factory and business was sold and taken over about 1980 by Bill Griggs, of Grenson's Irchester factory.

Shoe Manufacturer's Journal June 1967

Members Visit C. & J. Clark's

FOLLOWING the Federation Conference and the annual dinner-dance at Bristol, a party of members, on May 24th, visited the factory of C. & J. Clark Ltd., at Glastonbury, and were shown around the firm's Bullmead warehouse by Mr. J. Anthony Clark, sales director, and around the Grove factory by Mr. Peter Clothier. The Street Association entertained the party to lunch at the George Hotel, Glastonbury.

Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Tarry, Mr. W. Tarry, Mr. S. R. Fox and Mr. Daniel Clark, at Clark's Shepton Mallet factory.


We didn't get a picture of this factory as it was pulled down before our collection started! Demolished October 2003

Rushden Echo & Argus, 25th January 1952, transcribed by Kay Collins

New Idea for Shoe Fitting

Take a pair of sparkling transparent plastics, put them on the feet of a child, and you should solve the question of shoe-fitting.

Even the X-ray method of shoe fitting may soon be obsolete, for a Rushden firm of manufacturers is working on a new and simple idea of visual inspection.

Transparent trial shoes with plastic uppers are being prepared by Tecnic (Children’s) Shoes Ltd., at their Park-road factory. Used in the retail shops, they will show at a glance “where the shoe pinches” and when the right ones have been tried on their leather counterparts can be purchased with confidence.

clear plastic shoes

Made in the ordinary was except for the use of hot air or other devices to warm the plastic, the shoes will represent the firm’s complete range in all sizes and fittings. They are reasonably pliable, and go on and off the foot without difficulty.

Transparent plastics may also prove a good “line” for display purposes. Whether they can be brought into the realm of practical footwear is a matter for the future to decide.

Northamptonshire Advertiser, 20^th November 1964

B.B.S.I. Associate

Mr. R. J. Lovell, factory manager of Fox Shoes Ltd. Rushden, has been presented with the Associate Certificate of the British Boot and Shoe Institute.


A 1966 catalogue of Tecnic 'County Courts' Ladies Shoes

Tecnic Shoe Company - mainpage