Harboro Rubber targeting designers and consumers

Visiting a well-established traditional company driving forward with progressive plans.

Established in 1894 and incorporated in 1931, the Harboro Rubber Co Ltd – based in the English Midlands town of Market Harborough – is still owned by the original founding family. Throughout the company’s 127-year history, rubber footwear components have been a staple of its business. Today, its ‘Dainite’ brand of soles and heels are used by an impressive number of manufacturers producing premium quality welted footwear in the UK and around the world. A network of stockists is also in place to support the repair trade and smaller bespoke shoemakers. The current offering is built around four popular styles of rubber soling – ‘Studded’, ‘Ridgeway’, ‘Logger’ and ‘Medway’ – each of which is available with a complementing heel top-piece and can be produced in seven colours for volume customers.

Counteracting COVID woes

It is no secret that the pandemic has led to reduced trade for many formal shoe producers. The team at Harboro Rubber therefore believes that as life returns to normal, people deserve something different, joyful and optimistic, and that this can be found in the company’s new Dainite colour range.

Therefore, while COVID-19 was sweeping the world during 2020, work was progressing to develop what a company spokesperson calls ‘an exciting new website and social media channels’.

In raising the profile of the brand and widening the colour options available, Harboro Rubber has announced its intention to take its products to a new generation of footwear designers, and to reintroduce new variants to those already familiar with the Dainite collection.

With the growth of its social media presence, Harboro Rubber also aims to bring the brand to the attention of more consumers. The objective of this activity is to highlight the possibilities and benefits of a rubber sole as an alternative to leather for particular applications and as the ideal material on which to walk during times of inclement weather.

A long-standing member of SATRA, Harboro Rubber’s existing Dainite range of solings has been tested by SATRA for resistance to abrasion and flex damage.

The photograph at the top of this page shows production of Dainite ‘Studded’ rubber soles in royal blue.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 10 of the September 2021 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---