Padmore & Barnes History... down through the years

Padmore & Barnes have been synonymous with fine shoemaking for generations. Shoes of quality and taste, hand stitched and crafted to the highest standards.

Since 1934, Padmore & Barnes have been manufacturing shoes. It was decided then, and is carried out today, to make shoes of quality and distinction. The company manufactured 25,000 pairs of shoes per week, exported all over the globe and over 500 people were employed in their Kilkenny based plant.

In addition, hundreds of people in the surrounding areas were employed part time, hand stitching the shoes in their own homes, which continued an age old tradition of hand crafts in Ireland.

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Padmore & Barnes, Clarks and buyouts

From 1964 to 1987, the company was under the ownership of C&J Clarks. During this period Clarks WALLABEE® Shoes were manufactured at the Kilkenny plant in Ireland.

For the past 25 years, Clarks has continued to sell the WALLABEE® Shoe, building up a large dedicated following around the world. Padmore & Barnes is proud to have played a part in the iconic WALLABEE® shoe.

Padmore & Barnes became an independent company in 1987 through a management buyout.

Internationally Recognised

Since then, Padmore & Barnes has traded independently, producing shoes that are sold in many countries around the world. The strength of quality and attention to detail has brought Padmore & Barnes through over 80 years of trading internationally.

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Design, Innovation & Production

Today, Padmore & Barnes are internationally recognised as leaders in the field of design, innovation and production techniques associated with the manufacture of casual shoes. Shoes produced by Padmore & Barnes are sold under the “Padmore & Barnes” label or the labels of their customers.

We hope you enjoy our history and invite you to be part of the next generation to enjoy the Padmore & Barnes experience.