American machinery and European footwear: technology transfer and international trade, 1860-1939.

The footwear industry underwent a tremendous growth in the United States during the nineteenth century. The increase in production was noted mainly on the home market but was also accompanied, as from around 1880, by a heightened presence of American footwear in foreign markets. Consequently, by the beginning of the twentieth century the US had taken its place amongst the leading world exporters. The foreign expansion of American footwear began to slow down a few years later, however at a time when the European footwear industry, which had been most affected by competition from th