Slatters Shoes a strong light manufacturing force in Halifax Street, Adelaide city, from early in 20th Century
The Slatters Shoes factory in Halifax Street, Adelaide city, in 1935. It had expanded repidly from the start of Slatters manaufacturing in Adelaide in 1916. Slatters moved out of Adelaide city in 1002 to outlet premises in Adelaide's west at Findon (top left).
Images courtesy State library of South Australia and Slatters Shoes
Slatters Shoes became a force among South Australian shoe makers from early in the 20th Century with a wholesaling presence in the 21st Century.
Slatters’ Australian story started when Herbert Thomas Slatter arrived with his family in Melbourne from England in 1874. Slatters company archives from Melbourne showed it dealing with with C. and J. Clarks (later Clarks Shoes) in the United Kingdom.
Herbert Slater was joined in the business by sons Joe and Hal, before Hal moved to South Australia to set up an Adelaide office in 1901. South Australian-based manufacturing by Slatters started in 1916 in a small Flinders Street, Adelaide city, factory. When Hal Slatter died in 1928, his eldest son Bert became managing director, with the other three sons Dudley, Brian and Bob joining the business.
Manufacturing growth saw a new factory built on one-acre site in Halifax Street, Adelaide After only seven years, the Halifax Street building had an extra storey added to for administration and warehousing. During World War II, the company became a major supplier to the Australian military producing 600,000 pairs of boots for the troops.
Slatters was ready for 1970s changes from traditional welted to cement-lasted shoes construction. Bob Slatter’s son, John became managing director in 1977. In England in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he completed a four-year degree in shoe making at the British Boot and Shoe Institute. Slatters won multiple shoe awards and become the first men’s brand to take the industry’s top shoe pf the aear award, with its market share increased and production rising to about10,000 pairs per week.
The Slatter family leadershiop lineage was broken in 1997 when Paul Haines was appointed Managing Director after John Slatter stepped down but continued as chairman. Paul Haines had started with the company as sales cadet and his brother Trevor as a warehouse trainee. Trevor became financial controller in 1995.
In 2002, Slatters sold its Halifax Street. Adelaide city, building and moved to the more efficient open plan on Crittenden Road in the Adelaide western suburb of Findon. John Slatter retired in 2007 due to ill health.