I come to Shoemaking with the intention of combining high quality leather and suede with fine workmanship, integrity and a quick, personal, professional, reliable, service that is second to none. You will not get this kind of intention or service from a shoe shop assistant or indeed another shoemaker. Or the range of widths, sizes and vast range of colours and leathers I offer.

My Shoes and Shandals^®  come in three widths from size 2 to 14+, in half sizes and even quarter sizes.

If you can not find shoes to fit on the High Street. Need wide, deep, bespoke or soft  comfortable shoes or have problems with your feet, knees, hips, have high arches, hammer toes, sore feet, flat feet, bunions, odd size feet, have Orthotics that you can not find shoes they fit into or are diabetic or just want beautiful, hand made one-off shoes made especially for you, that are designed to be repaired and last years, then you need your own personal Shoemaker. 

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Chi and I think cause blockages in the Acupuncture Meridians in your feet, but more importantly they impede your stability and balance, be you old or young.

In my opinion, over time, in Pointy Shoes you will gradually, imperceptibly become less mobile, less active, put on weight, become less agile, less flexible and more vulnerable to diseases.

Pointy Shoes will prematurely age your feet, so will prematurely age you.

Throw them away, they could shorten your active life.

By the time we grow old, our feet are damaged in some way or other.

We have got athlete's foot, corns, ingrown toenails, hammer toes, flat feet, crooked toes, blisters, calluses, Morton's Neuroma, bunions, knee and hip problems and aching painful feet.

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All these qualities bring wonderful relief to tired or sore feet.

Corned squashed little toes heal and the circulation improves, so cold feet warm and I believe that there is a release of blocked energy in the feet.

Hammer toes have a chance to straighten.

But, crucially your natural balance and stability is enhanced in my Shoes and Shandals, as the toes spread and each toe, especially the once cramped little toes, takes their fair share of your body's weight.

Weakened under used muscles are exercised, so strengthen.

Tendons and toes stretch and spread, so the feet rejuvenate. Stronger toes are reflected in stronger arches, ankles and legs. These qualities combined with a low heel stretch the back of the legs, which is reflected in a more upright elegant posture.

Your natural gracefulness of movement, élan, dignity, stature, and youthful vitality is restored and reinvigorated. 

Walking becomes an entirely different experience - a smooth, rolling, rhythmic energising walk with immense strength, agility and control of movement.

Clients become light on their feet. They find themselves on their toes more and the joy of dance is rekindled.

My clients range from teenagers to octogenarians, teachers of Yoga and The Alexander Technique, Tai Chi Masters, Acupuncturists, Reflexologists, Craftsmen and women, Artists, famous Authors, Poets, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Philosophers, Professors, Doctors, Nurses, young vital men and women and those with severely damaged feet, as well as Lords, Ladies and film stars like Sir Alec Guinness, Emma and Sophie Thompson, Phyllida Law, Billy Connolly, John Cleese and pregnant women carrying extra weight. 

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I make The Uppers from soft, full grain Italian leather in over fifty beautiful colours.

I then fully line The Uppers in super soft suede or leather.

The leather I use to make my standard Shoes and Shandals^®  from is the soft Italian leather below, which I normally line in suede that is directly underneath. 

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They are designed with Built in Obsolescence.

They are designed to be consumed, so you have to buy a new pair when the soles wear out.

It is a waste of skills and energy, precious materials and your money.

And they end up polluting beaches or as rubbish in landfill.

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In my original Classic Shoes, I use two layers of soft leather 12mm thickfor the soles, which are protected from wear with thin, durable rubber soles and heels. 

The alternative is to use one layer of soft leather with 5mm Dinky Tyre soles and 8mm Dinky Tyre heels, which have more grip and are lighter and more flexible than my Classic Shoes.

For a really robust pair of shoes, I use the 12mm leather soles with the Dinky Tyre soles and heels. 

I like and wear all three. 

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After 15 years wear these Shandals^®  were in dire need of some Tender Loving Care.

The 2.5mm Translite soles and 6mm Translite heels were worn through to the second layer of leather, which had delaminated from the first and as you can see the strap was broken and the Buckle Holder missing and they hadn't been cleaned of mud for what appeared to be years. My client lives on top of a wooded hill in the rain soaked outback of West Wales. Leather and suede will become brittle, crack and break if not fed after repeatedly getting wet then dry.

I made new Buckle Holders, repaired the straps, replaced the second leather soles and glued new Translite soles and heels and cleaned the ingrained dirt in the suede as best as I could.

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One of the unique features of my Shoes is the hand-made leather laces. I take long one-inch strip of leather, skive it from 1.8 to 0.5mm. Then glue two lengths of waxed polyester braid string on either side to reinforce the laces, then roll the edges over and sew, then scissor them into two laces.

I usually make the laces from the same leather as the uppers so that they match, which looks fabulous or alternatively I make them from another colour like blue laces with black shoes or red laces with British Racing Green Italian leather shoes.

The combination can be really effective, especially when they match the colour scheme of your clothing. So, it is a good idea to consider ordering a number of different coloured laces when first commissioning a pair of Shoes or Shandals.         

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Worn without socks or stockings Shandals^®  can be worn indoors as slippers and outdoors throughout the year because the circulation improves.

Shandals^®  are unisex and uniage as they are the shape of normal healthy feet, but I originally designed the Lace-up Shandals^®  for a client with bunions back in 1992.

The Arch tends to collapse, flatten with a bunion. 

A bit like in Judo when the wrist is twisted and the whole body has to somersault.

The combination of a straight inside edge and big toe thong guides the big toes straighter, which lifts the arch, which is then embraced and supported by the soft Uppers when the laces are tightened.

These qualities combined with an open toe box gives wonderful relief to tired damaged corned feet.

If you have damaged feet or bunions then I recommend the Lace-up Design, because of the support they give and because they have the most adjustment over the arch and are the most therapeutic and healing of the three designs I make.

The Buckle Design has less adjustment over the arch than the Lace-up Design. The Buckles are solid brass and come in a silver Nickel finish.

Or you can have Silver or 24ct Gold plaited buckles if you prefer.

The Slip-on Design has no adjustment over the arch, so you either fit into them or not, although I can make minor adjustment to the patterns.

Those with normal healthy feet tend to fit into them best.

It is the design I wear most. 

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I came to Shoemaking in 1976 after my Wholefood Shop and Restaurant in Aberystwyth closed.

I had the idea of writing a book for Vegetarians on How to make Rope Soled Footwear.

For 10 years it was a hobby, but in 1986 I decided to start using leather to make repairable Rope Soled Slippers.

For outdoors I chose a soft leather for the soles to reflect how the feet embedded into the rope soles and the rest is history.

The designs of the Uppers are exactly the same as my Shoes and Shandals^®  with Uppers made in soft Italian leather and fully lined in supple suede and stitched to 5-6 mm thick, soft leather soles.

The Rope Soles are made from over 200 feet of 5mm Jute thread.

I hand plait eight separate threads into a rope 12 to 15mm square, roughly 10 to 12 feet long for each Slipper.

These are coiled and hand sewn into soles, then Invisibly Stitched by hand to the Uppers.

The resulting comfort is unsurpassable, blissful - supreme.

Personally, I like to keep my Rope Soled Slippers on my night storage heater, so that there will be a warm welcome for my feet in the morning or when I come home at night.

Such luxuries are a real pleasure and set the mood of the day and one's homecoming.

Worn indoors they will last years, but eventually the rope soles will fray and wear.

Fortunately, because I designed my Rope Soled Slippers to be repaired, new soles can be sewn onto the Uppers.

You have the choice of sending them back to me for repair or repairing them yourself - I can supply you with the Jute and my book 'How to make rope soled footwear'.

At the moment I am the only Rope Soled Slipper Maker in the UK, perhaps the world, and I sign and date each pair.

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The soles are soft so your unique footprints will imbed into them giving you a real grip on the Earth - a strong, powerful balance, from which, I believe, will come a strong, powerful, steady, straight swing.

When I look at the Spikes in most Manufactured Golf Shoes there seems to be no logic to them.

I have designed my Golf Shoes with one spike for the big toe, one for the second and third toe, one for the fourth and little toe, two for the metatarsal arch, one for the Arch and three for the Heel. Eighteen Spikes in all - one for every hole.

For dry sunny days I recommend my golf shoes with the single 5-6mm leather soles. For wet, winter days the 10-12mm soles.

For the Nineteenth Hole I have designed the Twin to my Golf Shoes, but without spikes, but in the opposite colours - the leather Lining becomes the Upper and the Upper becomes the Lining and with matching reinforced leather laces.

Personally, I don't like all these personalised bits and pieces on most manufactured Golf Shoes, I like a slab of colour, so I offer up to 50 colours in soft, full grain Italian leather.

Are your Golf Shoes handicapping you? I think so.

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“I bless you every morning I put on my Shoes."

“The shoes are a great success and I am saving £24 every 4 to 6 weeks in Chiropody fees.”

“I only take Shandals® off to go to bed.”

“My Golf has improved.”

“I dance as never before.” 

“I can’t thank you enough Alan; your Shandals® are a God send. To think when I first visited you, I could no longer stand on my Demi-points because of the pain in my bunion. Especially the left foot as I also had a ganglion removed some years previously – my feet have been in a dance studio since the age of three.

I am now 42, without my Shandals® my career as a Dance Teacher would have continued in a lot of pain – I AM NOW PAIN FREE. My feet are my living they are priceless, so are your Shandals^® .”

“What seemed to be expensive at the time, worked out incredible value for money as Sam (18yr old Downs Syndrome boy) has worn his shoes everyday for three years and they still do not need repairing.”

“Shandals® are the most comfortable footwear I have ever worn.”

“Since buying Shandals^®  two months ago, I have a new lease of life.” “I call them my second heart…I have been walking on air, I love them…with an apparent halt to my bunion, my feet look good and have never felt so strong.”

“For years my feet and legs were cold, but within one hour of wearing Shandals® my feet had warmed, even though I wore no stockings.”

“I have worn Shandals® constantly for 14 months now and the soles still do not need repairing.”

“I have just stood for 4 days at an Exhibition Stand with no foot ache…I no longer cram my suitcase full of alternative footwear as they (Silver Shandals®) go with everything.”

“Shandals® are my ‘Work Horses’ What’s more I can feel my feet and legs growing stronger and more resilient and can see my poor, battered and bent feet becoming straighter and more flexible.”

“...now when the Chiropodist comes he positively purrs over the latter’s health.”

“…A trip around the Supermarket, an hour’s gardening, a morning’s housework, was about the limit of my endurance, the rest was feet up, pain killers and frustration. Then in May I got my first pair of Shandals^® .

What joy!! What bliss!! I could walk! No hobbling and limping no bent back, no sticks, aches and pains. I can walk the dogs, garden all day, shop in town; they have truly added a mile to the distance I can walk. I wear them all day and can't bear to take them off."

“George’s new shoes continue to be the most astonishing success. They absolutely have contributed to his increased mobility and stamina.”

“Truly shoes that make your feet smile.”

“I admire excellence; there is not a lot of it left in the world. Take a bow.”

“Shandals^® , I love them more and more.”

“The shoes have given me many happy hours of walking and complete freedom from my Morton’s Neuroma.”

“For once it is a pleasure to write a cheque.”

"I worked for Rolls Royce Motor Cars for over 30 years. Henry Royce once said. "The best is the cheapest in the end. The quality remains long after the initial price is forgotten."

I think of that when I look at my shoes (...bought 11 years ago.) with their new laces.”

“When I arrived home after 18 holes of Golf, I had to put my feet up for a couple of hours and rest. But since buying your Golf Shoes I don't have to...

"My game has definitely improved and I no longer suffer from tired and aching feet, in fact they are just like wearing Slippers around the Golf Course! Thanks again." R.PJ.

“You have added the most fantastic service to the highest quality – many thanks!” B.W.

“…your hint for my ankle injury has been a great help.” S.W.

“My toes have never felt such liberation.” H.H.

“…with many thanks. I am full of admiration for beauty and elegance and craftsmanship of your shoes. My toes have never felt such liberation.” H.H.

"If I was still wearing shop shoes, I wouldn't be walking now"

“I will never have to visit a shoe shop again."

"Thank you again for allowing me to walk normally"

"Bless your hands."

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In September 1972 I ran the first Wholefood Shop in Wales in Aberystwyth. It was a three story double fronted shop and on one side we sold organic grains, pulses, vegetables, bread, a vast array of herbs and spices, books and magazines and in the other side, local crafts. Below in the basement we made furniture and above the shops was our vegetarian wholefood restaurant and above that a meditation room and library.

I have been making Rope Soled Slippers since 1975.

In 1977 I studied Reflexology with Doreen Bayly and helped her put her book Reflexology Today with photography. I practiced Reflexology till 1987 when I started making shoes for clients.

In 1982 I published my book How to make Rope Soled Footwear.

I have been designing and making leather shoes the shape of normal healthy feet with low heels for clients since 1987.

In 1992 I designed Shandals, which I originally designed for a client with bunions.

I practice Tai Chi and I love to dance and at 71, I am extremely agile, which I put down to my Shoes and Shandals^® .

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