Cobbler in shop window, Danbury St area, Islington, 1979
Cobbler in shop window, Danbury St area, Islington, 1979
20x-13: shop, cobbler,
The Phillips Stick-a-sole man was a common feature in the windows of many cobblers shops around the country. There were several slightly different versions of the rubberoid moulded figure which was made in England by Beritex, probably in the 1920s and 1930s, with the figure looking in different directions. Some have wire frame spectacles and possibly all started with these.
Walter W Phillips, born in Cardiff, first went into business in 1998 when he was around 26, and living in Swansea and was a boot and shoe traveller. He converted the business into a limited company in 1903, Phillips Patents Limited. The business expanded and in November 1919, a new private company, Phillips Rubbers Ltd, was formed, acquiring both Phillips Patents Ltd and the Premier Waterproof and Rubber Co, Ltd which had been formed to make its soles and heels. In 1926 the company was wound up and its assets transferred to Phillips Rubber Soles Ltd at the same address in Old St. Probably these company changes were tax saving measures.
My father used to put Phillips 'Stick-a-Soles' on every pair of leather-soled shoes bought for any of the family, supporting the shoes on a cast iron last with three different size supports at right angles to each other. The rubber soles were spread with rubber cement, put into place and then hammered to ensure they followed any bend in the leather. When the rubber soles became worn they were removed and replaced by a new rubber stick-a-sole and the leather sole never wore out.
Cobblers offered the same service, but it was of course much cheaper to do it yourself, and we couldn't afford to pay their prices. Phillips are still in business and still produce stick-a-soles as well as other products, but most shoes I buy come with hard-wearing rubber soles rather than leather, and the soles usually outlast the uppers.
Cobbler in shop window, Danbury St area, Islington, 1979
Cobbler in shop window, Danbury St area, Islington, 1979
20x-13: shop, cobbler,
The Phillips Stick-a-sole man was a common feature in the windows of many cobblers shops around the country. There were several slightly different versions of the rubberoid moulded figure which was made in England by Beritex, probably in the 1920s and 1930s, with the figure looking in different directions. Some have wire frame spectacles and possibly all started with these.
Walter W Phillips, born in Cardiff, first went into business in 1998 when he was around 26, and living in Swansea and was a boot and shoe traveller. He converted the business into a limited company in 1903, Phillips Patents Limited. The business expanded and in November 1919, a new private company, Phillips Rubbers Ltd, was formed, acquiring both Phillips Patents Ltd and the Premier Waterproof and Rubber Co, Ltd which had been formed to make its soles and heels. In 1926 the company was wound up and its assets transferred to Phillips Rubber Soles Ltd at the same address in Old St. Probably these company changes were tax saving measures.
My father used to put Phillips 'Stick-a-Soles' on every pair of leather-soled shoes bought for any of the family, supporting the shoes on a cast iron last with three different size supports at right angles to each other. The rubber soles were spread with rubber cement, put into place and then hammered to ensure they followed any bend in the leather. When the rubber soles became worn they were removed and replaced by a new rubber stick-a-sole and the leather sole never wore out.
Cobblers offered the same service, but it was of course much cheaper to do it yourself, and we couldn't afford to pay their prices. Phillips are still in business and still produce stick-a-soles as well as other products, but most shoes I buy come with hard-wearing rubber soles rather than leather, and the soles usually outlast the uppers.