Jonathan
VFG Member
You have picked up on my worst problem in researching major shoe manufacturers and designers -- sorting out which ones are which. WHich ones are shoemakers and which ones are manufacturers is tough, as are which ones are designers, and which ones are stylists, but the worst problem is which ones are retailers, even though they may have started off as makers/manufacuters or designers/stylists in the beginning. Russell and Bromley looks to be just one of those problem companies. THey had, or were associated with a manufacturer at one point, and they may do some styling (telling a manufacturerer what they want, or tweeking an existing design, which they can do when they have a chain of stores) but they are actually retailers foremost. Andrew Geller in the United States has the same problem for me. Andrew Geller may have dabbled in design, but the self named company was primarily a retailer/importer. Its very difficult sorting out who is who. I am not covering retailers as the research would slide into epic proportions if I did. I finally nixed Andrew Geller from my list as the company was primarily a retailer, as it appears Russell and Bromley is too. However, that pair of shoes you pictured helped solve a mystery for me -- the fate of Norwich shoes. They were HUGE in the 1920s - 1940s but sort of disappeared in the late 1950s and I never knew what happened to them. Obviously they were bought out by Bally of Switzerland. Which is another area of great stress to my research -- buy-outs, mergers, and take-overs. The Delman/Rayne/Dior/Vivier/Genesco/Jourdan nightmare took me two days of research to sort out in the end! They were all connected via buy-outs/agreements etc.
Bally probably bought out Norwich so they would have an ENglish factory to make their shoes, thus avoiding export/import duties. Often companies that are bought out continue to produce lines under their old companie's name, so Norwich probably merrily went on producing Norwich branded shoes even though Bally owned them at some point. This is done to keep customer loyalty. Even in the pair of shoes you have it says Norwich/Bally in them, so they are obviously easing their way by introducing their name in the shoe at that point....
Its a bloody nightmare trying to figure all this out!
Bally probably bought out Norwich so they would have an ENglish factory to make their shoes, thus avoiding export/import duties. Often companies that are bought out continue to produce lines under their old companie's name, so Norwich probably merrily went on producing Norwich branded shoes even though Bally owned them at some point. This is done to keep customer loyalty. Even in the pair of shoes you have it says Norwich/Bally in them, so they are obviously easing their way by introducing their name in the shoe at that point....
Its a bloody nightmare trying to figure all this out!
