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For some guests, the gallery may bring back recollections of being fitted for their very first pair of childhood footwear on a rather chilly metal measuring device. For others, the cabinets of immaculate Wallabee shoes and Desert Boots may recall youthful fascinations with American hip-hop or Britpop movements.

Memories will also return vividly for many residents whose families made the brand’s footwear for generations, as the newly opened Shoemakers Museum welcomes visitors in the Somerset village of Street.

Nicky Dowding noted that some guests may be surprised at how far this very British label, which is marking its bicentennial year in 2025, expanded across the world. “At home, the company is often linked with school shoes, but within fans across the world it’s viewed in distinctly unique ways,” she added.

Dozens of pairs of footwear are on display, with some showcases resembling vibrant, abstract pieces of art. Dowding mentioned that a significant number were kept in archives: “One of the major jobs we’ve had while developing the museum is actually selecting the items to showcase? Which narratives do we want to share? Because there is an overwhelming amount.”

Fans of urban music and the TV series Breaking Bad are likely to head straight to the displays of Wallabees, created in the late 1960s, and modeled by the moccasin.

The Wallabee was at first considered too radical in the UK but proved hugely successful in the United States and was championed by members of the New York hip-hop band the renowned collective, who sported them, wrote about them, and included them in art work.

More recently, Wallabees played a featured role in the opening scene of Breaking Bad when the main character, the science instructor turned illicit drug super-cook, wore a set, along with unflattering white underwear.

A further key feature of the exhibit is its story of the desert boot, influenced by the travels of a company relative to Myanmar and the subcontinent during the World War II. They became a favourite of the 1960s subculture in the Britain and were also worn passionately by the famous brothers.

Clarks’ religious originators may have been taken aback that their brand became such a favourite among stars.

The inaugural display in the gallery is a modest pair of house shoes made from scraps of a sheepskin rug around 1825. The museum details how the company rapidly expanded into one of the most significant in the Southwest England, and how the family did philanthropic deeds in the region and farther afield.

A family descendant, head of the trust that preserves and shares the brand story, explained the firm flourished because of its ethical foundations. “One of the core principles is honesty, and that means that you’re very honest in all your transactions,” she stated. “People trusted them. The family made some money through the business. This enabled them to become philanthropic and work for votes for women. They were active in the fight against enslavement in the US.”

A business archivist said his preferred section of the exhibition was a set of machines from the Desert Boot production line, which was based at the Weston-super-Mare plant. The facility closed a quarter of a century ago and the footwear are now made in the Asia.

He said: “The majority of the workers that operated on that line worked there for many years.” An employee was called Nureyev because he moved so quickly and gracefully between the two machines he worked on. “They were so proficient at what they did.”

If the casual shoes and Desert Boots will appeal to music fans, lovely recreations of Clarks shoe shops will bring back memories for a broader range of people.

Rosie Martin observed: “In my view, people will be able to find themselves in the museum. People will recall having their feet measured on the gauge so that their first shoes were properly fitted. It was a ceremony, a rite of passage.”

Among the displays features her daughter’s first shoe, with a instant photo of her in the shop. “I treasure that,” she said. “It opens up a treasure trove of reminiscences.”