This week’s Shoe Design of the Week is from Katharine a bride who loved her Upper Street bridal shoes so much, she couldn’t wait until her wedding day to share them with us. Inspired by her heroine, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine created her unique bridal shoes, with a touch of blue and is now a relaxed bride-to-be with her shoes safely wrapped in tissue. Over to Katharine to tell you more.

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Kat and I am a bride-to-be from a tiny village in Hertfordshire who dreams big about my big day. I am an Operations Manager for a veterinary healthcare and insurance company by day, but the rest of my time is currently spent day-dreaming and planning for my wedding in 2014 at Gaynes Park in Epping. I also run a Facebook ‘community page’ called W-Day Forte which allows brides to be and brides who’ve been (or bride gurus as I call them!) to share ideas, experiences and recommendations. It’s a great outlet as we can all talk weddings and compare notes without boring our nearest and dearest senseless!

What inspired your shoe design?

The blue bridal satin ‘ribbon’ across the front of the shoe will be a key colour on the day.  I was thinking ‘Would Audrey Hepburn like them?’ when I was designing them and decided maybe she would. I wanted shoes that were quite simple and elegant looking, but most importantly, I wanted them to reflect who I am.  The original design template was for a double D’Orsay (open) side, but I decided to customise them further by having a single D’Orsay on the inside of shoes only.

Upper Street were very accommodating of my request – in fact, it was no trouble at all for them! Size was of also a concern with my ‘odd in between size feet’ that usually cause me problems when shopping on the High Street, but I explained my predicament to Upper Street and supplied my exact measurements (following their online guide) and the shoes fit perfectly!

The shoes also perfectly complement by dress, but I can’t say any more than that (promise you a pic in 2014 though!).

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

I was over the moon when my shoes arrived.  I had such high expectations for them as they are so personal to me, but the reality exceeded these! They really are my dream shoes brought to life. I had no concerns about the size as even if they had been a little too small or big I knew that Upper Street would have adjusted them free of charge.

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

My friends and family adore them and love their originality. I have since purchased an Emma Gordon clutch bag which was customised by Emma with a dusky blue satin bow to complement the shoes. As you will see in the pictures they are a match made in heaven! I’ve only tried my shoes on and they are now back in their lovely box waiting patiently for their big day…..a lot more patiently than me! I literally cannot wait to wear my shoes. I am going to make sure they make their way into lots of the photos on the day!

Thank you Katharine for sharing your stunning bridal shoes with us! It’s obvious you can’t wait to wear them on your wedding day and we look forward to seeing your wedding photos.

If you are interested in designing your own bridal shoes, our bridal shoe design guide has plenty of tips and advice.  You can also browse our bridal shoe gallery where you can customise all the designs.

Alternatively you can book a personal appointment with us at the Shoe Lounge in our Islington Townhouse where you can try shoes on for sizing and view swatches of our huge range of materials. To book call us on  + 44 (0) 845 680 9365 or email us iloveshoes@upperstreet.com

design your own bridal shoes with Upper Street >>

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.

This week’s Shoe Design of the Week is brought to you by Kate Foster, a 50′s inspired bride-to-be from the South East of England. We absolutely love her alternative purple leopard studded peep toe bridal shoes, and her special order bridal blue insole is just the perfect touch!

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Kate Foster, I was born in Edinburgh almost 32 years ago now though moving to the South East of England at the age of 10 has meant my accent is all but gone, (I get tutted at by my fiancé Nic for the way I pronounce things “Northern”).

I work for Tesco as a Communications Manager; it’s all a bit new at the moment as I have only joined them in January. Outside of work I really enjoy spending time with my darling fiancé Nic. We both love a bargain so can be found most weekends trawling car boot sales, flea markets and antique fairs. I collect 1980’s toys so I am always on the lookout for a My Little Pony or Rainbow Brite figure!

We have been known to spend the odd weekend enjoying 1940/50’s fairs and recreation events. Half my salary goes on lovely 50’s style clothing these days, the other half goes on building up my collection of tattoos.

What inspired your shoe design?

My shoes are very special; they will be my wedding shoes. Nic and I got engaged in Spain in September 2012 and plan to have our wedding in May 2014. I know that seems like a very long time to have my shoes sitting in a box waiting to be used, but my lovely future mother-in-law wanted me to have something that I could look at every day and get excited about the big day. Both she and Nic saw the many, many designs that I was looking at and gave me ideas and feedback. I think Nic was a little unsure about me having studded leopard print wedding shoes, but now that they’re here he sees just how much I love them. There is no way that I could have a pair of “standard” wedding shoes and my current shoe collection contains some exciting designs already.

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

First thought when the box arrived was “Yippee” and from there it soon went to “Oh wow”. From the packaging to the handwritten note, it just added to the whole feeling of how special these shoes were and how brilliant Upper Street’s service is. The materials are great quality and I love the mix of textures that they have.

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

As I have said they are not due to be worn for a while yet, but I have danced about the living room in them! I won’t wear them out until after the wedding day but I think after that they will become a staple in my wardrobe – especially as they are so comfortable!

Thank you Kate for sharing your alternative bridal shoes secrets with us! It’s obvious you can’t wait to wear them on your wedding day and we look forward to seeing your wedding photos.

If you are interested in designing alternative bridal shoes, our alternative bridal shoes design guide has plenty of tips and advice.  You can also browse our vintage bridal shoe gallery or our 50′s shoe gallery, where you can customise all the designs. For more information on the bridal blue shoe insole that Kate added to her shoe, read Upper Street’s special order blog.

Alternatively you can book a personal appointment with us at our London Studio where you can try shoes on for sizing and view swatches of our huge range of materials. To book call us on  + 44 (0) 845 680 9365 or email us iloveshoes@upperstreet.com

Design your own shoes with Upper Street >>

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.

This week’s Shoe Design of the Week, is by Irish fashion journalist, Lorna Claire Weightman from StyleIsle.ie

As a fashion lover, Lorna was looking for a stand-out  bridal shoe that would not only be the talking point of her wedding, but also she would be able to wear again. Read on to find out what inspired her unique wedding shoe design.

Tell us a little about yourself
Lorna Claire Weightman, Dublin, fashion journalist who started out as a blogger and graduated to magazines and telly! I am a shoe fanatic that would give Imelda Marcos a run for her money!

What inspired your shoe design?

My beautiful shoes were for a very special occasion – my wedding! I knew that I wanted to design a pair of shoes that I would wear again, and that would not be a stereotypical wedding shoe! I love gold and silver tones, and felt that sticking with this palate, I could create a pair that would look good on any dancefloor! I paid a visit to the Upper Street studio where the fabulous team helped me create the perfect pair. I didn’t know just how many options, both fabric and style, I had to choose from so I was so grateful for the advice! The result was an amazing pair of platform peep toe shoes in Luxe silver two-tone snakeskin, with a slight platform for comfort.

What did you think of your shoes when you received them?
I was so overwhelmed! Never did I think I would possess a pair of shoes which were solely created for me, fitted to my little feet and be so special. I think I may have been more excited about the shoes than I was about my wedding dress.

Have you worn your shoes yet? What did your friends think?
I wore the shoes on my very lovely wedding day on November 24th. I had told all of my friends that my shoes were extra special and when they saw them they were all in awe. They were so taken aback that customers can design their own shoes from start to finish so I think I may have introduced a few new ladies to this concept!

Thank you very much Lorna for sharing your wonderul wedding shoes with us. They looked stunning with your wedding dress and you can look forward to wearing them again and again.

Designing your unique bridal shoes at Upper Street means there are no limits – tear up the rule book and be as individual as you like.  As well as uing your choice of material, we can offer special orders such as inscribing your shoes and adding a blue lining. What better way to help make your wedding day the most amazing day of your life?

For bridal inspiration visit our bespoke bridal shoes gallery and view our bridal blue shoe gallery to see more colours, design and embellishment options and then create your own personal design in Upper Street’s 3D Shoe Designer. Browse our full range of colours and materials in our Swatch Store and you can order swatches for that all important perfect match.

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.

This week’s Shoe Design of the Week is from lovely bride Isis, whose wedding took place in the House of Commons the same day the anti-austerity protests were happening. She told us how her Upper Street shoes saved the day after their cab couldn’t go past the police barricades a couple of streets away from the House of Commons.  We couldn’t help but fall in love with her wedding story and the fact that her shoes played such an important part in her special day.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Isis and my hometown is Santa Cruz (a surf town on California’s Central Coast).

I am a lawyer. My career brought me to London a little over five years ago, and now it’s home, though travel remains my passion (I just came back from honeymoon in Zanzibar).

What inspired your shoe design?

I designed my shoes for my wedding. I wanted shoes that were special – so special that I could wear them again. I couldn’t imagine when I would have another opportunity to wear the white satin shoes I kept seeing in the bridal shops, but I did love red.

I started playing with shoe designs on the Upper Street website and was drawn immediately to the red snakeskin. My (now) husband had bought me a red crocodile bracelet from Aspinal last Christmas; my bridesmaids were wearing red and we were having intense red rose floral arrangements. I wanted to make sure the shoes looked the way I imagined, and that they were comfortable (I was walking myself down the aisle and was terrified of tripping!), so I came in to the Upper Street studio. Lisa not only helped me finalise my shoe design, but helped me try on a variety of styles and browse through the shelves of archived shoes.

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

I was excited! Our wedding celebrated London (the city where we met) and was thus a mix of traditional and modern. On the traditional side, I wore the veil my husband’s mother wore at her wedding, my engagement ring was from 1910, our ceremony was in the House of Commons, and a vintage Routemaster bus took us to our reception. Our reception was more modern: American style cake from Hummingbird Bakery, margaritas, and keeping with my husband’s Scottish roots, lots of whiskey and bagpiping. I thought these shoes provided the right contrast to my yards of bridal white.

Have you worn your shoes yet?

I was married in October. The guests (and groom) loved the red touches. The red added a lot of warmth to a fall wedding. Despite all our planning, we couldn’t have planned for the massive anti-austerity protests on the day of the wedding – there were police barricades surrounding the House of Commons in all directions, and the bridal party ended up having to abandon our cab and navigate through several streets of riot police. The shoes got me through the protests and down the aisle – and back up for a fantastic party afterwards!

Thank you very much Isis for sharing your gorgeous wedding shoe design, story and beautiful photos with us. We’re delighted to have played a part in making your wedding day so special.

Being able to design your bridal shoes at Upper Street means there are no limits – tear up the rule book and be as individual as you like.  As well as uing your choice of material, we can offer special orders such as inscribing your shoes and adding a blue lining. What better way to help make your wedding day the most amazing day of your life?

For bridal inspiration visit our bespoke bridal shoes gallery and view our bridal blue shoe gallery to see more colours, design and embellishment options and then create your own personal design in Upper Street’s 3D Shoe Designer. Browse our full range of colours and materials in our Swatch Store and you can order swatches for that all important perfect match.

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.