I’ve had these photos of a Shu-Lok Fastener for a while and thought I’d post them in case anyone is interested to see what one looks like removed from a shoe.
I can’t remember where these photos came from so I apologize for not linking to the website.
Shu-Lok Shoes, Part 3:
The Talon Shu-Lok fastener was used by several different shoe manufacturers, including Thom McAn, in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. They came to be knows as “Snap Jacks,” “Mousetraps,” or “Grasshoppers,” and were apparently prized in Rockabilly circles because musicians like Carl Perkins were photographed wearing them.
And that’s all I’ve been able to find out. If you know anything else about them, drop me a line.
Shu-Lok Shoes, Part 2:
The Shu-Lok Fastener was manufactured by Talon, Inc., Shu-Lok Fastener Division, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and a freelance inventor-mechanic named Clive B. Forrester originated the idea for the shoe fastener and brought it to Talon in 1948. It was not until 1955 that Forrester, retained by Talon for seven years, had improved his closure enough to go into production.
Shu-Lok Shoes, Part 1:
I found these shoes in a thrift-shop over a decade ago. I really didn’t know anything about them, just thought they were cool. I wore them a few times, but they were slightly too big, so I put them in a box and then completely forgot about them.
Recently I was searching for something and found them again, and looking at them now through a shoemaker’s eye, wow I thought, these shoes are crazy!
So with the only information about the shoes that I could find, “TALON SHU-LOK” stamped on the closing fastener, I did a little research…
