The State and the footwear industry in France in the 20th century: the definition of a territorial scale for coordination between the public authorities and companies

Abstract

The issue of industrial districts arose in the social sciences when the economic crisis of the 1970 s sowed doubts about the Fordian model of organization. The French public authorities looked for alternatives through a renewed interest in SMEs and industrial districts. On a long-term view, this dimension is not new; it is part of the mobilizing economic and social role which the State took on in the 20th century. This article examines the paths followed by public authorities to optimise the mobilisation of resources. The question posed here is located at the intersection of economic history and the sociology of public-sector action. The approach employs the example of the shoe industry, which experienced two types of configurations: the geographical concentration of SMEs and economic concentration in industrial groups. It is shown here that the State, in its search for partner institutions to ensure its hold on the economy, was forced to take into account the reconfigurations of the productive system, without necessarily succeeding.