To get production started, Bill needed to buy the unique mould-making machines that produced the air-cushioned sole. It was difficult: they were rare and expensive. But when the factory they were situated in went bankrupt, Bill seized his chance and bought them. He transported the equipment to the factory on Cobbs Lane, only to find it would not fit through the door. The enormous machinery was too tall. Undeterred, Bill approached the local council to get permission to raise the roof of his factory. They bluntly refused.
This could have been the end of Bill’s revolutionary new business before it even got started. But his determination shone through. Calling his team in the following day, he dug a massive hole in the factory floor and fitted the machines in that way. One week later, Bill started production of a black, 8-holed boot that sat on the new air-cushioned sole. Taking the name from the date of its first production, the 1460 boot was born.
This could have been the end of Bill’s revolutionary new business before it even got started. But his determination shone through. Calling his team in the following day, he dug a massive hole in the factory floor and fitted the machines in that way. One week later, Bill started production of a black, 8-holed boot that sat on the new air-cushioned sole. Taking the name from the date of its first production, the 1460 boot was born.
