Tredair
Encyclopedia
Tredair is a brand of British-made footwear produced by White & Co., a shoe design company in Northamptonshire
. The company, established as a factory from 1890 to 2003 making classic men's footwear, sports footwear, cricketing shoes, utility footwear to government specification during the early 1940s, a military contract for the Australian Army, and safety footwear employing significant numbers of people at White's Shoe Works in Daventry town centre and in the village of Earl's Barton at a 1960s ex-Barker's factory on Station Road. Until 1983, when the Dr Martens brand changed ownership, they shared the work of producing Dr. Martens
boots. For a short time from then until the contract expired they produced boots labelled "Dr Martens Tredair". At that time, the air-cushioned sole used felt
to provide cushion, but the company took the opportunity to develop a foam
filling, branching off and producing its own Tredair brand with patent number 2292878B
The company continues to design shoes, including Tredairs, with production moved to another local factory, a former cooperative
, with some commercial success among American subculture
s. Since Dr. Martens moved their production to China in 2003, British manufacturers like Tredair and Solovair
have become more sought after.
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. The company, established as a factory from 1890 to 2003 making classic men's footwear, sports footwear, cricketing shoes, utility footwear to government specification during the early 1940s, a military contract for the Australian Army, and safety footwear employing significant numbers of people at White's Shoe Works in Daventry town centre and in the village of Earl's Barton at a 1960s ex-Barker's factory on Station Road. Until 1983, when the Dr Martens brand changed ownership, they shared the work of producing Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
boots. For a short time from then until the contract expired they produced boots labelled "Dr Martens Tredair". At that time, the air-cushioned sole used felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
to provide cushion, but the company took the opportunity to develop a foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
filling, branching off and producing its own Tredair brand with patent number 2292878B
The company continues to design shoes, including Tredairs, with production moved to another local factory, a former cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
, with some commercial success among American subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s. Since Dr. Martens moved their production to China in 2003, British manufacturers like Tredair and Solovair
Solovair
Solovair is a brand of British-made boots and footwear, produced by NPS Shoes Ltd., which was established in 1881. NPS is based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, an area known for its shoe industry...
have become more sought after.