do you wear Clarks Originals?

Call for focus group participants

The 'If the Shoe Fits' project in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield is now approaching its end, however there is still time to participate in the research. Alex Sherlock the postgraduate researcher on the project will be continuing her research for another year to look at the relationships between representations of shoes, identity and experience. Following a period of research at Clarks headquarters in Street, Somerset, she is focusing on Clarks Originals, a sub-brand of Clarks International. If you or someone you know wears Clarks Originals then she would like to hear from you.

The shoes in question range from the classic Desert Boot, Wallabee, Desert Trek, Lugger and Natalie to the women's ranges and more recent fashion styles. Focus groups will be conducted in July/August. Whether you're male or female; have one pair or a hundred pairs, please get in touch to express your interest in participating: a.sherlock@sheffield.ac.uk

This research has been approved by the University of Sheffield ethics committee. There will be no payment for participating, although refreshments will be served and we hope you will enjoy the experience. The focus groups will be video recorded for analysis and although the research is not intended for commercial use, anonymised recordings will be shown to Clarks to gauge their reactions to consumer experiences of their shoes. We will ask you to fill in a brief questionnaire before participating in the study. For more information about the project visit the project website. For more information about Alex Sherlock visit her department profile page or blog