C & J Clark is a British International shoe manufacturer and retailer which was founded in 1825 by Cyrus CLARK in the village of Street, Somerset County, England. Clarks won a gold medal at the Great Exhibition in 1851. It joined with the American company owned by John Walter BOSTOCK in 1904 and he became director in 1928.That year Clarks introduced for the first time its Wessex collection. It was launched to distinguish Clarks' more expensive, high-quality footwear range. It was a prominent brand line during the late 1920s and 1930s, often highlighted in company point-of-sale materials alongside the famous "Tor" range. The brand continued, with examples of Wessex range shoes (such as court shoes and sandals) appearing through the 1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the company shifted its focus to producing more comfortable and athletic shoes. Clarks is still operating today and has remained a very successful shoe business for almost 200 years.