Two examples of women's shoes on display at the fair. A previously unpublished image.

Two local firms exhibited slippers, shoes and boots at the International Slipper Fair at Blackpool which ended on Wednesday after a four-day run. Holts, of Nelson and Burnley, showed their beautiful Renata Italian shoes which do not seem to have any rivals. These simple classical designs outlive fashion styles season after season yet never look out of date. The Lambert Howarth Group Ltd, of Rossendale and Burnley, exhibited a wide range of slippers for which they are particularly known, but also showed shoes for all age groups.

Competition is fierce in this field, and the fair reflected this, with companies from many parts of the world exhibiting their wares. Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, France and other European and Eastern nations were represented, but the fair was not as opulent as in previous years. In the past, models in national costumes and displays with expensive set-ups were common, but some of this was lacking this year, though the fair attracted a lot of attention, and more important for firms like Lambert Howarth, potential buyers.

The Savoy and The Cliffs Hotel, North Shore, Blackpool, were fully occupied for the duration of the fair, and several smaller hotels in the area housed exhibits. Many Lancashire firms were represented and their goods compared favourably with foreign competitors, in design, craftsmanship and use of materials. There is a definite trend away from synthetic materials and back to leather uppers in all kinds of footwear, and some very beautiful skins are being used to create shoes and slippers. Suede boots, once confined to limited shades of browns and beiges, were shown in soft, muted shades of air force blue and jade greens.

To many people in this area, the prosperity of footwear firms means their prosperity, too, but indications at the fair were good in terms of the vast numbers of interested buyers, including retailers who came from all over the country and overseas. More important to British manufacturers, who must have pared their prices as low as they could, was the fact that they did compare well with those listed by foreign firms.