Nicki Rawson was one of our #ShoesDayTuesday 3rd Birthday winners and her fabulous yellow shoes really stood out with judge Sairey, Cosmopolitan’s Fashion Editor, saying her photo and shoes “show real inventiveness, a love of colour and a quirky style.”

So we couldn’t wait to see what Nicki would design, especially when she sent us this message “I’m delighted I’m a winner. I am attending a wedding in April so hope to have the shoes by then – the dress I’m wearing is a difficult colour to match so I’m over the moon I’ll be able to design my own shoes and show them off.

We’ll hand over to Nicki to talk about the shoes she wore for #ShoesDayTuesday and the shoes she designed with Upper Street.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m Nicki Rawson and I’m a physiotherapist from Manchester. I usually spend the working day in trainers as my job is quite active, so it’s nice to wear a pair of heels. I love shoes that are talking points and people sometimes tend to look more at my shoes than they do at my face in conversation! I never wear ugly shoes. Life’s too short.

Tell us about the shoes you wore for #ShoesDayTuesday

My winning #ShoesDayTuesday shoes were purchased in San Francisco, but are ironically made in Brighton, just down the road! I had a meeting at work that day and wanted a statement pair, and something to give me more height. It was a rare gloriously sunny March day and I wanted to capture this with yellow tights and mustard shoes to really feel as though Spring had arrived.

Now talking about your Upper Street shoes – what inspired your shoe design?

A Vivienne Westwood dress and the TV series ‘Mad Men’ inspired my Upper Street design. I bought a fantastic salon print vintage-style dress for a wedding in April and couldn’t find shoes to match anywhere. Winning #ShoesDayTuesday was an absolute dream for me as I’d already been on the website and tried my hand at creating my own shoes. I had a very definite idea of a pointed court to achieve a Betty Draper-type shoe which would pick out the muted gold and pale blue accents in the dress.

I wanted the shoes to be classic and styled on those in a wedding picture of my Aunt in the 1960s. My Aunt had exquisite taste so I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve and was able to tick all the boxes with the Shoe Designer. I designed my shoes quickly and saved them before playing around for hours with other styles, as I was seduced by the choice available on the website! I added an ankle strap of Swarovski diamantee to give the shoes a subtle hint of sparkle, but not detract from the detailed dress.

What did you think of your shoes when you received them?

I was really nervous when I received my shoes as I really hoped they were as beautiful in reality as they were on screen! The packaging was truly amazing and I loved the velvet shoe bag, hand-written note and Upper Street keyring. Everything was so pretty I didn’t want to open it! I was overjoyed when I looked at the shoes for the first time. I loved them straight away. This was in the car park of the parcel depot as I couldn’t wait to get home to see them! I tried them on at home and they fitted perfectly.

I was really overwhelmed with the generosity of Upper Street’s #ShoesDayTuesday, and with the whole designing and ordering process. Communications were super-friendly and I felt reassured that I would get a beautiful shoe and have alterations if required. Upper Street kindly sent me a longer pair of straps as I have wide ankles. I can honestly say that I don’t own a more beautiful pair of unique shoes.

Have you worn your shoes yet? What did your friends think?

I wore my shoes to the wedding reception and did a lot of dancing! They were really comfortable and whilst most of the other guests were abandoning their shoes, mine stayed on – there was no way I was going to part with these beauties after the compliments I’d had! Bring on the next wedding!

Thank you very much for sharing your story with us Nicki and we hope you’ve another wedding or special occasion soon to wear your fabulous dress and shoes.

Win your own design shoes with #ShoesDayTuesday

All you need to do is wear a fun or unique pair of shoes every Tuesday (they don’t have to be Upper Street shoes!) and post a photo of you wearing your shoes to your Twitter and/or Instagram accounts using the hashtag #ShoesDayTuesday and tagging @UpperStreetShoe

find out more

Upper Street – the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own shoes and have them delivered right to your door.

All Upper Street shoes come in a huge range of sizes from the petite shoe size UK 1.5 (33) to a generous shoe size UK 10 (43) with 4 width fittings. We also offer free alterations to fit and we’re so confident that you’ll love your final design that we’ll refund you if you don’t!

We know how hard it can be to pick your favourite shoe design, but with Upper Street’s Shared Collections you can share your shoe designs and invite your friends to review, ‘Love’ and help you pick your perfect shoe design.

This week, Julia Grinham, Upper Street ‘s Co-founder, is looking to update her shoe wardrobe for Autumn and she’d love to hear your thoughts on her  shoe designs!

Join Julia’s Shared Collection and help her pick the shoe design that she’ll order.

Love the design you think is just right for her, give your views and design advice in ‘Comments:’ should she add a large bow to that lovely burgundy ballet flat or would it be better to go with a black suede pointed court instead? Or design a whole new shoe and share it with Julia.

Julia will announce the winning design on Facebook and Twitter on Monday 24th September, so you have until Sunday 23rd September to give your shoe design advice.

Join Julia’s Shared Collection >>

What to know more about Julia’s personal style before giving your feedback?

Read about Julia’s Luxe Must-Haves >>

Julia’s go to evening shoes >>

Julia’s working shoe wardrobe >>

Considering the amount of time we spend at work, it makes sense to want to own the perfect pair of office shoes. In a world where we’re often judged on appearance and the saying “You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes” is widely known, it would seem pertinent to want the right footwear to wear to the office.

Take a look at our latest Upper Street Masterclass dedicated to designing the perfect office shoe to help you score points in the style stakes, whilst still presenting the image of professional perfection.

Monochrome Mary Jane brogue

Take a classic design such as a round toe court and give it a twist by designing in black and white leather with brogue detailing and a Mary Jane strap. This adds personality without breaking any of the traditional office dress codes and will look great with work wear tailoring. Try personalising with alternative colour ways such as navy and tan or use different materials like suede and snakeskin.

Natural snakeskin peep toe

For height and comfort these 3″ heel natural snakeskin peep toes with a contrasting black snakeskin heel and silver buckle encompass everything you need in an office shoe. The natural snakeskin works well across the seasons but there are plenty of other shades to choose from if you wanted to add some colour to your look. Customise the design further by adding a contrasting counter back or swap the buckle for a large structured bow.

Zebra pointed court shoe

The striking design of these zebra pointed courts will always make them a statement shoe, but the colours will still tone well with your wardrobe. The flash of a red patent heel adds a subtle touch of drama without going over the top. Try a similar design using some of our other animal prints such as leopard or go wild with a little stud embellishment.

Camel brogue platform court shoe, Brown snakeskin platform court shoe

The platform court shoe is a classic shape that can work for the office. Design your bespoke version at Upper Street and customise with subtle touches that ensure your office footwear is stylish and standout, yet still appropriate. A classic camel heel is lifted to new heights with brogue detailing in snakeskin and patent and this chocolate snakeskin platform court has extra zing from the tangerine snakeskin heel. Design your perfect platform office shoe with bows, a toe cap or a Mary Jane strap.

Cobalt suede office pointed court

Make a statement at work by adding a nod to the latest trend with your heels! Our new office shoe for AW12 is a rich, bright cobalt suede pointed court shoe that’s bound to turn heads with its black snakeskin toe cap, counter back and heel. If a lower heel is required for those longer days, simply select a 2.25″ kitten heel at the checkout stage.

Navy camel ballet flat, Metallics leather ballet flat

With endless options available, a flat shoe need never be boring at Upper Street. We love this chic navy and camel design with a classic gold buckle – the perfect versatile office shoe. If you want to inject a little sparkle into your day without going over the top then try a design with asymmetric panels in tonal metallic shades. Take a look at our ballet flat shoe gallery for more inspiration.

So there you have our guide to designing fabulous footwear for the office. But don’t just take our word for it – take a look at our Design Guides for more inspiration and then design your own perfect office shoes online with Upper Street

Come and visit our Upper Street Studio in London. Whether you’d like to try shoes on before ordering, view our samples and material swatches or need help with designing your shoes, we’re help to help you.

To book a VIP appointment, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

If you can’t make it the studio but still want to see our full range of luxurious materials, visit our Swatch Store. Whether you’d like to experience the richness of our suedes, feel the silken quality of our sumptuous Italian satins or visualise our glossy patents as a shoe, you can order as many swatches as you want!

Upper Street - the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own individual shoes and have them delivered right to your door.

If you invest in our key shoe styles you’ll always have the footwear equivalent of the Little Black Dress, the jeans that you can wear for any occasion and the white shirt that works from season to season. With an Upper Street shoe design you can take a classic design and add that individual stamp that will always get people asking “Where did you get those shoes?”

Read on to find out what shoe designs we recommend you invest in to ensure you have fabulous footwear with the bespoke touch…

Black animal pointed court shoe

The right evening shoe is the shoe wardrobe equivalent of the Little Black Dress. This elegant D’Orsay cut pointed court in black animal has just the right amount of detail with its black satin Mary Jane strap, heel and large bow. Customise your design with different materials or select a 2.25″ kitten heel at the checkout.

Gold snakeskin sandal

When all out glamour is called for, you can’t go wrong with a shimmering sandal in gold tones and a little added extra sparkle. This snakeskin sandal with an easy back strap and two front straps embellished with Swarovski diamante gems is the perfect party shoe for every season.

Zebra pointed court shoe

Liven up your wardrobe by choosing a stiletto that makes a head turning statement. These fabulous zebra calfskin pointed court shoes use a perennial favourite print, zebra, and add an individual touch with a zingy red patent heel. Customise our stiletto shoe style to create your individual shoe.

Black & gold pointed court shoe

We love this kitten pointed court – it takes a classic brogue design and adds an Upper Street twist by contrasting stunning gold leather with sleek black patent. The 2.25″ kitten heel means you can take your feet comfortably from the office to evening cocktails…exactly what an investment shoe is supposed to do!

Cobalt suede studded ballet flat

A ballet flat is always a solid investment to add to your collection so why not up the ante by giving your ballet flat a little rock chic edge? These cobalt suede flats with their black snakeskin toe cap and counter back are given a fierce finishing touch with a sprinkling of studs.

Chocolate orange snakeskin platform court shoe

And because when it comes to a shoe investment, we can’t just stop at five, here’s an added bonus heel for work wear. Bring style to the boardroom with these platform courts in chocolate brown snakeskin with a contrasting tangerine back and heel. A lower 0.25″ platform and 3.5″ heel is available at the checkout stage if less height is required for work.

So now you know what styles we recommend you invest in, take a look at our shoe galleries and design guides for a little investment inspiration of your own. From season to season you can step out in your own investment shoes which you designed yourself for a truly individual look.

Upper Street shoes come in a huge range of sizes from the petite 33 (UK 1.5) to the generous 43 (UK 10) with 4 width fittings. We also offer free alterations to fit and we’re so confident that you’ll love your final design that we’ll refund you if you don’t!

To book an appointment in our London Studio, email iloveshoes@upperstreet.com or call us on 0845 680 9365.

If you can’t make it the studio but still want to see our full range of luxurious materials, visit our Upper Street Swatch Store.Whether you’d like to experience the richness of our suedes, feel the silken quality of our sumptuous Italian satins or visualise our glossy patents as a shoe, you can order as many swatches as you want!

Upper Street - the made-to-order luxury shoe label where you can design your own individual shoes and have them delivered right to your door.