For our Spring Summer 13 collection we've taken all that we love about summer; the lighter shades, fresher tones and simple patterns to create a plethora of colourful casuals and formals in suede and leather.



With interesting additions to the core collection: monk shoes, tasselled trainers and a new swimwear range we had lots to showcase to the Press on 18th October at our Conduit Street store in London.



We've used the Fin Project XL sole on a large part of the collection to create a lightweight yet durable range.





Choose between single and double strap monk shoes - a first for Oliver Sweeney.



We've also given a colour injection to our cup sole trainers...



...and we also introduced the 'Gentleman's Collection' to the press. The collection features Oxfords, Derbys and Monk Shoes in black and brown colourways.



London Shoeshine was polishing people's shoes during the event and we handed out souvenir Oliver Sweeney branded rock sticks too - a nice little reminder of a great Press Day!

Will Greenwood





How do you walk your own path?

Neurotically with a great deal of stress! I recently watched Michael Vaughan’s programme on what professional sportsmen do after they retire. I think anyone who’s been a professional sportsman sees that fear of retiring at 34. Everyone thinks wow you’re so lucky to retire at 34. Yes you’ve had a great time, you’ve played in front of 90,000 people and had your name chanted by people, but suddenly it’s like okay I need to get a job.

What have you been doing since you retired from rugby?

My work’s been very media based. I work for Sky and The Daily Telegraph and then I do 10 to 12 days for companies like Aviva, JP Morgan, Betfair and Canterbury. I’ve written a couple of books too. So the real answer to how do I walk my own path is with great enjoyment when I go home and lock the door and I’ve got the wife and three kids and I can just enjoy the day.

Whose shoes would you like to be in?

It was always Take That. Then I became a bit of a Westlife fan. I’d like to be the lead on Flying Without Wings! JLS have now taken over. Basically I would have liked to have been in a boy band and done a concert at Wembley in front of 80,000 people.

Are you a bit of a singer then?

No I’m totally tone deaf! That’s why I go to Tiger Tiger, rent a karaoke booth and sing like a muppet. To me it sounds great though!

We’ve seen your collection of Oliver Sweeney shoes – which is your favourite?

I slightly ruined my favourite pair and now you don’t make them anymore. They had a black toe with a white bit in the middle and a black back. I usually use your polish but I cleaned them badly - there was some old black polish left on the brush. I still have them though and wear them for weddings. Clearly the England shoes from 2003 with the rose on the back are pride of place. I reckon I’ve had those reheeled four times and properly reheeled by Oliver Sweeney so that shows how much I’ve worn them.
 
Why do you have the relationship with OS in the first place?

We were introduced to Oliver Sweeney by Clive Woodward when he took over England. It was all about changing our mindset and feeling special. In the old days we used to stay in Travelodges and the kit was rubbish; you just weren’t treated as though you were an international athlete. Clive changed that. We started staying at Pennyhill Park, we were introduced to Hackett and then Oliver Sweeney came in with the shoes. I probably got my first pair of shoes in 1997 or 1998 when Woody first took over. Ever since then I genuinely think that other than a trainer I’ve never worn a different shoe and if I see anyone with a tatty pair of shoes I tell them to go to Oliver Sweeney immediately!

Why do you like them so much?

They feel great, they’re very cool. Sometimes I’m a size 11, sometimes a 12, sometimes a 13, but once I find the right size it fits like a glove. They’re so well made and as you can see from my collection I still have shoes from 1997.

You’ve talked about the different things you’ve been doing since you retired – which do you prefer?

They’re very different challenges. The Telegraph is a blank sheet of paper every Monday for 40 weeks of the year plus extra articles. It’s 60,000 words a year and you’ve got to be different and interesting and you’ve got to have people coming back – when it comes to the end of the season I like people writing in asking where’s Greenwood? So it’s that mental challenge to maintain the support levels from your readers. The adrenalin challenge is live TV stuff so that would be Sky. At the end of the Heineken Cup final I was out on the pitch interviewing Man of The Match Brian O’Driscoll. The speakers were going out to 90,000 people in the stadium and it was also going out to all the countries taking part. If you start to think about what’s going on you start panicking a little bit, but that also makes you feel very alive.

Does that give you the same sort of kick you used to feel on the pitch?

It does - all sports people try and find something that gives them that buzz without playing and live TV certainly does that. Sky are great to me they give me big and tough challenges and it’s sink or swim. We don’t do media training - we just get on with it.
 
And what about School of Hard Knocks?

Hard Knocks is great. We do that for three months of each year where we go to inner city areas. We’ve done North Wales, Liverpool and more recently London. We spent three months with unemployed guys who’d never played rugby before. We turned them into a rugby team, got their CVs sorted and then got them job interviews. We try to give them a leg up in life, give them a second chance.
 
Talking of young guys playing – do you think there’s a danger of going pro too young?

That’s a great question. Rugby wise I think so. The problem is there’s always the exception to the rule. Johnny Wilkinson came through at 19. There are guys that started playing at 18 so a lot of 16 and 17 year olds see that and go after it. They believe they can be the next one. In reality there are 400,000 kids that play rugby and there’s one Wilkinson. These young guys get invited into Academies and think they are going to be the next Tuilaghi but then they get cut at 21 or 22 and they’ve missed the best three years of their life. My genuine recommendation to most kids coming through is stay at your local club enjoy yourself. If you’re that good they’ll pick you up and put you straight in the first team which is very different from being in an Academy. Go to college, go to uni, live a little bit - rugby will still be there.



You’ve just released On Rugby – how did that come about?

A book yes! Lawrence Dallaglio has a publisher called Simon and Shoester so he introduced me to them and we decided it would be good to write two books. The first one is an amalgamation of all the work I’ve been doing for The Telegraph for the last eight years. I’ve probably done over half a million words for them in that length of time so a book was meant to pick out the best bits and adopt a storyline to put the different chapters together.

And finally what’s the story behind your nicknames Shaggy and Twigman?

Twigman was between 12 and 15. Then I matured and became Stick Man as I put on a bit of weight. I would have like to have become The Log but as you can see I am still The Stick! Shaggy was from virtually the first day at Durham University so anyone who knows me from Durham it’s still Shaggy – I had floppy curtains and couldn’t grow a beard. I’m a complete coward too so Shaggy was the perfect fit. Then I have sort of become Rodney Trotter as time’s gone on. The Welsh nicknamed me Nicholas Lyndhurst in 2003 so I get a lot of Rodney’s when I’m in Cardiff!

We've just launched our beautiful Sterling Silver accessories range that we created with jeweller Joy Everley's help so we took a trip down to Newburgh Street just off Carnaby Street to meet her properly.



How did you first get into making jewellery?
People always ask that! It’s been my life for over 30 years so I can really hardly say. I’ve just always done it. From a tiny child threading beads up to now making diamonds and precious pieces.



You’ve been on Newburgh Street for 14 years - how has the road changed?
It’s stayed the same in that it’s cool and interesting and attracts individuals looking for something different to buy, what has changed is that there are more corporate brands. There used to be more independents but the corporates have jumped on the bandwagon.



How do you differentiate yourself from those bigger corporate brands and make Joy Everley special?
No one else sells our jewellery so far. There aren’t many jewellers who design and make only their own brand and we don’t advertise on the side of buses!



Where do you take your inspiration for your collections from?
I find my ideas come from the customers. Even though I don’t like to work in the shop as much as I used to – I would hate to not do it all because you’re working with the customers. We sell things individually pendants, chains and bracelets our customers will put together their own combinations and they will come up with things you would never have thought of so from that you get an idea of trends.



Oliver Sweeney’s latest collaboration with you features little sterling silver cufflinks – how did that come about?
Sarah Cooper (Oliver Sweeney’s Tattooist-in-Chief!) and I have known each other for a long time. She’s a fan of Joy Everley and she had an idea that she’d like to have something in the accessories range to complement her tattooed leather pieces. So we got chatting in the pub and I immediately knew what she was talking about. I came up with some ideas and then it just grew from there. We realised the things you sell in Oliver Sweeney lend themselves to having precious accessories that also relate to what you’re already selling.

Were you familiar with our Anatomical Last and brogues?
Yes! I love brogues!

How did you recreate our intricate details on the miniature cufflinks?
Thanks to Emily Jacobs Oliver Sweeney’s Accessories buyer. She is very meticulous. It really was such a pleasure to work with another designer because we were just hitting off each other the whole time. I knew the practical limitations and could also think of ideas knowing what we could do and how small and detailed we could go. Emily knew what she wanted and by pointing out the details that are unique to your Oliver Sweeney shoes we were able to reproduce that but in tiny form!



Where was the collection made?
The silver collection is all made in Thailand. It’s a factory we’ve worked with for 20 years. Luckily I go out every year to visit them with my new collection. We’ve become friends. It’s a big operation. They mostly work for French designers and fashion designers because they also make costume jewellery.

In terms of the Joy Everley brand – are you planning any more collaborations?
I would love to. It stretches me and gives me the chance to go in a different direction. My collaboration with Oliver Sweeney has been really fun.

Paper Playground

How long have you been playing?
John: About a year now, but we spent a year before that structuring our music and our sound working on what we wanted to sound like.

Is this the first band you’ve all been in?
John: We’ve all been in bands before and some of us have played in bands together as well.
Eddie: Adam and John are brothers and I went to school with Lloyd so we played in bands together there.
Lloyd: Between the four of us we’ve all played in bands since we were 14 years old together but not the four of us together.

How did you come up with the name Paper Playground?
Adam: That’s what took the year!
John: It was torture! It’s a reference to the innocence of being a child. It was all about being young and spending your time making things.

Do you write your songs all together or is it just one of you?
Adam: It’s a bit of a mixture really. We do a lot of stuff on the computer at the moment. One of us will come up with an idea and we’ll email it around. We all live together so we go running upstairs and downstairs listening to things we’ve all played and the songs evolve from there.
John: If we like where it’s come from we push it further. It’s done in a different way to just sitting down and playing together - it’s more individual.

Where do you get inspiration for the lyrics?
John: I write the lyrics. Every time I come up with something new I always promise myself it won’t be personal but you can’t really help it. The music always comes first and then I like to take it away and see how it inspires me. So yes it’s about personal aspects of my life really.



How would you describe your style of music?
Lloyd: Dream pop has been thrown about.
Eddie: I joined the group a bit later and before joining I put these guys on once and I described them as being part of the chill wave Brighton scene.
John: I think you have to put electronica in there too because it’s an electronic sound and we have songs of various speeds.

Where do you play most?
John: It’s mainly Brighton at the moment as we’re still fine-tuning our sound, but we are starting to play a bit more in London too.
Lloyd: We’re only just really finding our feet but now I think we are ready to venture out there.

What’s your opinion on Britain’s Got Talent and Pop Idol?
Eddie: I think shows like XFactor have ruined a few things but they’ve also encouraged bands to rebel against talent shows. Bands think we’ll just do our own thing so there’s a lot of DIY music at the moment because the major record labels will only sign up the X factor rejects. So I think the shows have killed a lot of music but kids aren’t going to be into Paper Playground so the kids can love Olly Murs and people who like real music can love our band!

What’s the next step for the band?
John: It’s just to play at the moment. Since we’ve actually got together in the proper line up we’ve done about four gigs. We’ve been so busy writing songs and fine-tuning the sound that now we can go out and actually enjoy playing to people.

What’s the band’s style?
Adam: I just wait ‘til John has bought something and then copy him! It’s much easier!
Eddie: That’s real little brother love isn’t it! When we play live we all wear the same colour.
Lloyd: That’s only really happened since Eddie joined the band! We’ve never actually said let’s wear one particular colour!
Eddie: So was that just a coincidence then! So every time I’d seen you before you’d just happened to be wearing the same. Oh so maybe I have uniformed the band! That’s what I’ve brought to the band – no bass playing skills, just fashion!
John: We wear what we feel comfortable in.
Adam: We don’t go on stage and put a different outfit on. We wear what we’d normally wear.

How do you walk your own path?
John: We try not to follow any trends by just being ourselves.
Eddie: We make our own path.
Lloyd: We almost didn’t want to worry about what people wanted to hear. We just thought let’s do what’s fun for us and play and that’s sort of come across now. There are a lot more people dancing at our shows now!

What makes your toes curl?
Eddie: I really don’t like peanut butter.
Lloyd: I don’t like it when you’re eating a yoghurt and someone says can I have a bit of your yoghurt.
John: We’ve been given the opportunity to talk about our band and you’re talking about peanut butter and yoghurt!
Eddie: I think we make eachother’s toes curl!



Which are your favourite OS shoes?
Eddie: I really like Wren: it’s a classic brogue but in boot form. They’re never going to go out of fashion. They look like a classic Dr Marten and they’re made in Italy so they’re good quality.
John: We all appreciate good quality craftsmanship. That’s a sign of a good shoe. You can tell that it’s a brand that’s made very well. In the same way that we are musicians and we craft songs Oliver Sweeney craft their shoes beautifully.

If you're in Amsterdam this weekend come down and see our Tattoo Your Shoe pop up event at De Bijenkorf.

Double Gold Medallist and Cyclist Ed Clancy




British Cycling has become associated with the words inspiration and participation; do you think you’re going to play a part in getting people to participate in cycling from now on?

Perhaps when I retire. I think we’re already inspiring kids to get on their bikes and that’s a good start. I’ll do a few participation programmes involving kids and the talent team at British Cycling, but at the moment I’m just enjoying riding my own bike too much. I want to keep doing that for another four years, but as soon as I finish cycling I want to something back into the sport. It’s given me so much. It’s transformed how I feel about life so I’d love to put a bit back into cycling when I’ve finished.
 
You mentioned the next four years so is Rio in 2016 definitely in your sights?

Going into London I wasn’t so sure how I’d feel afterwards. I figured that if things hadn’t gone so well I’d still have my medal from Beijing. Now I’ve got my second gold it makes sense to go for a couple more.

Cycling and the velodrome became a focal point during the Olympics. Can you describe what the atmosphere was like inside?

In terms of the achievement essentially it was the same as what we did in Beijing but it just felt like so much more doing it in front of 7,000 people. It isn’t a huge number but the atmosphere in there was so tight. The roof was so low on the velodrome it was just like walking out of a nightclub – your ears ringing! It was a really special atmosphere and it’s fair to say we’ll never have anything like that again.
 
And compared to your win in Beijing four years ago – better or the same?

I think it was better. Obviously it was my first gold in Beijing, but being able to share this gold with my friends and family and the people of Great Britain was better. It’s the place I’ve grown up and I’m quite patriotic. It’s important to us that we’ve had a home Olympics to do our thing in front of the home crowd.

Dave Brailsford talked about the preparation the cycling team had – even special pillows for each athlete – do you think that attention to detail made sure the team was absolutely ready for the Olympics?

Absolutely. For British Cycling the Olympics is the only thing that really matters. The performances you saw at London 2012 were the result of how we go about our training and preparation. There was no stone left unturned whether in equipment, the way we were sleeping and what we were eating and drinking. We put all our eggs in the Olympic basket and it came good again.

It was an amazing time to be involved in cycling with the Tour de France setting the scene for the Olympics – it was going to be a summer to remember for British Cycling wasn’t it?

Bradley definitely kicked off the feel good factor amongst British Cycling and while he doesn’t ride Team Pursuit with us anymore I remember him fondly from Beijing. He was quite an inspiration for me and Geraint Thomas at the time as the younger lads of the team. It was great to see him go off and win the Tour. It seemed a bit like an impossible challenge so I think that inspired the whole of British Cycling and the way we think.

So now you’ve finished are you still training or having a rest?

I ploughed straight into training after Beijing and looking back six or seven months post Beijing I regret not taking my foot off the gas, so I think I’ve not got a lot to lose by having a bit of time off now. I think I’ve got time to swagger about in gold shoes before I get down to the serious training for Rio!

How do you walk your own path?

I cycle for a start! I think it’s important to choose your own route and not follow others like sheep. I’m quite well known for not towing the line and having my own ideas in training. Just as long as you’re happy doing what you’re doing then that’s all that matters.

What makes your toes curl?

Cabbage, broccoli, sprouts - anything green. I’m not big on salads and vegetables.

Whose shoes would you like to be in for the day?

Your shoes obviously! I’m pretty happy just being me to be honest. You can’t change who you are so just try and be happy being yourself.

Jack Green



How does it feel to be part of TeamGB?

Obviously it’s a great thing to be selected and I’ve been thinking about it for years and years. I was 14 or 15 at the time we won the Olympic bid and it was kind of a dream that you didn’t really think would happen and now I’m in the team.

Your biggest rival is Dai Greene and yet he’s your training partner – how do you manage that relationship?

We’re good friends but obviously it’s competitive on the track; I help him and he helps me. Obviously training together brings us both on, taking us to the new level and that will be the Olympics.

So would you say that every training session is a competition in a sense?

Yes totally. Neither of us wants the other to win on one run whether it’s 20 metres or 200 metres. It doesn’t really matter!

The fans in the Stadium will be screaming your surname which ironically is also Dai’s surname although it’s spelt slightly differently!

I’m the real Green – I don’t put an ‘e’ on end!

So will you be using Dai’s cheers as well?

I’ll pretend! Yes let’s pretend they’re mine!



You’ve had quite a fast track training programme over the last year – do you feel slightly rushed because of it?

No I’m feeling fine. I was patient when I was young. I was always too scared to train because I didn’t want to burn out and be that young kid who didn’t really do anything when he was older. So I only really started training when I went to my coach Malcolm Arnold in Bath. He’s the best in the world and he knows what he’s doing. So I just say yes ok I’ll do this, listen and get on with things.

Are you too young to be competing in this particular Games?

If you’re good enough – you’re old enough! That’s what we always say at training.

How do you combine being a ‘normal’ 20 year old and being an elite athlete for Team GB?

I don’t! I wish I could! I train every morning at 9am so going out doesn’t really come into it. We get a month off every year where you should probably keep away from athletes as we get to do what we like. We get to put the 11 months that we’ve missed into 1 month so I am looking forward to that.

What plans have you got after the Olympics?

I’m going to go to a few festivals and enjoy myself.

Do you get a designated amount of time off until they want you back on the track training?

Yes we start back on October 1st which is a shame as my birthday is 6th October so I go straight back into a hard week.

Will you keep your fitness ticking over?

No we have a complete break. You need it. Obviously with 11 months of hard training and especially with the Olympics this year and all the excitement you need that break.

You’ve had a couple of races where you’ve knocked over hurdles – is that something you’re going to put an end to before London 2012?

Well in my last race I didn’t knock over a single one so hopefully I can keep that up! It’s just a stride pattern thing. In the 400 metre hurdles you have a stride pattern and I haven’t done the one I should’ve been doing all season. Because you’re not doing what you’re meant to you get a bit too close to the hurdle or a bit too far away which results in hitting hurdles - which isn’t fun!

What’s the penalty?

There’s no penalty but there’s no advantage either. One it hurts and two it slows you down.

When did you decide that it was hurdles rather than running that you wanted to do?

When I was 15 I was doing the 400 metres and I was pretty tall, I’m 6ft4 now and I thought I can get over these hurdles. I’m not the best of hurdlers but in the 400m hurdles you don’t have to be you just have to be efficient and in my first race I ran a UK record for my age. So I thought ooh I think I should probably stick with this event!

What are you most looking forward to about competing here in London?

The home crowd. It’s probably a familiar answer but that’s such a huge thing. There’s a reason why in football and rugby they love playing at home and win more games and it’s the same in athletics. If you’ve got the crowd behind you you’re going to run better.

Any worries or nerves about competing in front of the home crowd?

No. They’re going to jump on your back if you don’t do very well. I don’t really want to think about that side of things though.

What do you think are the chances of a GB one two on the podium?

If I get it right I can run really well, but the 400m hurdles is extremely competitive. No one’s really taken it on – that’s the plus. There’s a big group of guys that could all medal and hopefully I’m put into that group. I’ve got a few things that I need to sort out which I’ve been doing.
 
Dai’s just been named Captain of Team GB – are you going to be taking advice off him first hand?

I always do. Last year when I first joined the sport he was brilliant with me and I learned as much from him as I did my coach. Things are a little different this year because I’m hopefully in a position where I can challenge him. I’m still learning from him and he’s always there to ask any questions that I have.

Whose shoes would you like to be in for the day?

David Beckham just because of the whole side of the fashion icon and he’s more than just a sportsman and that’s what I’m aiming for myself.

What makes your toes curl?

People wearing tracksuit bottoms outside sport. I absolutely hate it. I don’t think it should be allowed, ever.

What’s your favourite Oliver Sweeney shoe?

The Mellin Tan. This now my ninth pair of brogues! I like the end of the shoe – they’re rounded off but you’ve still got the flared edge. A lot of brogues are just rounded off and they look too much like ballet shoes but these are a bit more masculine!

Our Tamponato and Tattoo Pop Up Event in Selfridges has been so successful that we're keeping it running until 26th August. However, as of Monday 20th August we'll be turning the pop up into a virtual event.

You'll still be able to buy your shoes, create or choose your tattoo designs from our display book and we'll then send them to you or you can pick them up from store.

To get your creative juices flowing here are some of the designs people have chosen over the last two weeks:

Sophie Hosking & Kat Copeland



You haven’t rowed together in a boat for very long – only since March - were you quite nervous going into such a huge competition?

Sophie – I don’t think so we had a lot of confidence from what we’d done in training and although we were quite new in the boat we’d trained together every day so we were always progressing and always learning. I think we were also really happy with our training camps leading up to the Olympics so we knew we were going fast.
Kat – I had a lot of confidence in us both individually and we didn’t have any pressure. I’ve raced Sophie loads so she was who I wanted to be a boat with and I had confidence in the training that I’d done.

Talking of pressure the Greeks did put you under quite a lot of pressure in the final – was there a moment when you doubted yourselves?

Kat – This was the first year I’d ever done the event so I was a little bit intimidated by them at first but then when we raced them in the first World Cup I just realised they’re just normal people so no I didn’t doubt ourselves.
Sophie – I think as World Champions they had all the pressure on them and we were going in knowing they had everything to lose and we had everything to gain. We knew how our race plans fitted in with theirs. In the final we were the most focused on what we were doing of all the races. We just focused on what stage of our race we were in not just oh they’re leading us we’ve got to react; it was just all about what was in our plan.



Obviously as you came down towards the finishing line you had the home crowd cheering you on can you describe what it was like having as they say ‘the extra person in the boat’?

Sophie – It’s something you don’t experience very often in rowing. It was the closest to the atmosphere in the athletics stadium that we are ever going to get. There were 30,000 people surrounding each bank producing this wall of sound - it was an amazing experience. The cheering was something we used more and more to our advantage through the regatta and by the final it wasn’t something that was normal but we knew that it was going to happen and we knew how to react to it in a positive way.
Kat - It gave you butterflies. When we got to the really loud bit it gave you butterflies in your tummy. You just had so much adrenaline you didn’t even have a chance to think you were tired. It was so loud that it gave you so much energy. Having my family, some of my coaches from home and my boyfriend there really made it for me.



Sophie, that moment when you crossed the line and you turned around and hugged Kat could you actually believe you’d won?

I could believe we’d won but I think it was just the realisation of all our hard work that we’ve put in and even though we’ve just come together in the boat we’ve been putting in the hard work individually for years and years and that’s a moment that you dream of. You don’t know quite how you’re going to react. It’s very impromptu because it’s not anything we’ve had before or planned. It was such a special moment and then obviously the cameras captured the rest of it! Not necessarily flattering!

Kat, I think your smiley face is pictured everywhere!

It was like our dreams had come true. It sounds silly but that was our dream and it happened so it was just a bit surreal.

So do you think it’s something you’d like to recreate in four years time?

Sophie – I think we both have a lot of thinking to do before we make any decisions. Four years is a long time and rowing is a sport that we both have to invest a huge amount in and it’s not something you can take lightly. I think when the excitement has all calmed down that’s the right time to start making decisions.
Kat – I think I’m the same and if you talk to anyone on the team I think we’re all the same. I think we just need a bit of time to think.



Inspiring a generation is the strapline for London 2012 – is that something you feel you’ve contributed to?

Sophie – It’s funny when I saw all the hoardings I didn’t know how that would apply to me personally but having seen the crowds and seen the excitement of the country and then having achieved the ultimate of winning I think it’s something you have to take on. It’s going to be really important to get back out there in schools and clubs because they’ve got to see that we’re just normal people and it’s just something we’ve worked towards and that anyone can achieve it if they really want to put the hard work in.

How do you walk your own path?

Kat – I guess for me it’s being proud and always keeping links with where I come from in the North. I love Teeside and it’s what’s made me so I think I have a lot to be thankful for. I also think keeping happy – if you are happy doing something you’ll do well.
Sophie – For me it’s about living in the moment. I think when I was younger I was always thinking about what’s next what’s next. Now I’m just trying to enjoy every moment that I’m in – some are much more enjoyable than others - but I find that makes you much more at ease with what you’re doing and if you can make the most out of every situation you are in you can turn around and think I’ve done all I could.

What makes your toes curl?

Kat - I don’t like getting injections. I don’t like seeing things pierce your skin – sounds a bit morbid I know!
Sophie – I’d probably say mackerel. The pepper on it, the oily skin and the vacuum-packedness of it all! I will eat most things but mackerel no way!

Whose shoes would you like to be in for a day?

Kat – Kate Middleton just because I love her. I think she is the most gorgeous person in the world and she just gets to joke about with Harry and Will all day. She got to see all the best things in the Olympics too. I think she’s great!
Sophie – I think it would have to be someone well known in history. Maybe Winston Churchill. When he was really under pressure in the War and he came through. Yes I’d like to be Winston Churchill!

We showcased our AW12 collection at our Oliver Sweeney store on The Avenue, Spinningfields in Manchester last night.

 


This season we’ve taken our inspiration from fine Italian wines, naming each shoe after our Cobbler-in-Chief’s favourite reds and whites. With a mixture of formals and casuals in high-shine rub off leathers, eye-catching designs and rich colours we’re extremely proud of this luxurious range.



Particular favourites among the press were the Bonn Zebra chukka boot and very fittingly the Santo and Emilia Gold shoes!



Here are some of the AW12 Collection highlights to whet your appetite!

Santo Navy and Santo Brown Croc


Albany Black


Salento Brown/Green