If you’ve lost the will when it comes to the bridal shoe hunt this 2020 and never want to try on an ill-fitting embellished T-bar or distressed satin sling-back again, you’re in luck. Innovative shoe brand Shoenvious, founded by husband and wife duo Andrew and Saudin Noddings, has arrived in the UK and brought an exclusively bespoke shoe service to the table that’ll have you cracking open the champagne, bridal party in tow…
With the ability to offer brides a platform in which to design their dream wedding shoes on (all of which are handmade to order) Shoenvious is causing quite the stir in the industry. Fuelled by her own struggle to find the perfect bridal shoes, co-founder Saudin clearly understands the importance of a beautifully crafted, personal bridal shoe design, not to mention the personal service in which to build a bespoke shoe empire on. Introducing new materials every quarter – keeping their designs, and appeal, fresh – we managed to catch up with Saudin to discuss the new shoe brand on the block.
Read on to discover everything from the story of the brand’s inception, to Saudin’s social media loves and hates, favourite escape and the new exclusive service they’ll soon be launching…
#1 Who are the founders behind Shoenvious and what kick-started the birth of the brand? Tell us a little bit about your design background and experience?
“I co-founded Shoenvious with my husband. The idea started when I struggled to find the perfect wedding shoes for our wedding. I conveniently got my wedding dress from an online boutique, but it took me 8-12 weeks of consistent browsing online and visiting every shoe shop I could find to seek the perfect shoes to match. I eventually purchased a shoe, but it still was a “compromise” of what I really wanted.
Nine years later… Shoenvious was born. Shoenvious was created for women like me who are specific about the shoes they wear or are simply looking for footwear that is unique and special.
We’ve developed a proprietary 3D technology that allows women to design their own shoes from scratch using our online shoe designer. With every click, the shoe designer provides a 360 render of their creation, so they’ll see how their design looks before they’re even made.”
#2 What if brides feel a little overwhelmed having to design their bridal shoes from scratch?
“Our customers are surprised by how intuitive and user-friendly our online shoe designer is. We do showcase the most popular designs and most brides start the customization process from there. Our platform also guides brides through the design process by asking them for their preferences in shoe shape, heel height, etc. Once they have inputted this information, our platform shows them a filtered list of options, making the customisation process simpler and less overwhelming.”
#3 How can brides control the cost of their bespoke design?
“Each bespoke pair of shoes starts from £230. The price increases when premium materials, additional inscriptions, embellishments or mismatching shoe sizes are requested. Our pricing sits comfortable between mass-produced high-street and luxury shoe brands. We’ve made a deliberate choice to offer custom, handmade shoes at a fraction of the price of luxury shoe brands and 70% less than the cost of getting bespoke shoes made from traditional cobblers.”
#4 Are all of your bridal shoes handmade? What material options are there?
“Each pair is handmade according to the bride’s specifications, making the shoes a really special keepsake and accessory for one’s wedding. The upper part of the shoe can be made out of luxe satin, nappa leather, patent leather, sparkle fabrics, suede, to name a few. We use soft nappa leather for the shoe interiors, which makes a big difference to comfort and how the shoe feels on one’s foot. We also introduce new materials every quarter to keep our offerings really fresh.”
#5 What do you think are the most important factors that brides need to think about when designing their bespoke shoes via Shoenvious’ 3D shoe designing software?
“Don’t be afraid to mix and match different textures, use colour and incorporate special details to your shoe. Go for a heel height and shoe shape that is comfortable and works with your venue and theme. Your shoes need to look great for the photos, but you also need to be able to wear them for hours!
We see a lot of brides who undervalue the importance of bridal footwear and shop for shoes too close to their wedding – only to realise that it’s a challenging task to find the perfect shoe for their big day. Your shoes can make or break the whole look and should be considered as soon as you start shopping for dresses.”
#6 What if a bride isn’t sure which size to order (she’s a half size?), how can Shoenvious help with this?
“We offer online consultations via email and web chat and make recommendations based on size, style and colour preferences. We take the time to know the bride and take into consideration their current shoe sizing and match that to the styles we offer. Brides love this service and they often send us photos of their dresses and info on their wedding themes, and they happily welcome our recommendations.”
#7 What other special touches does Shoenvious offer brides when it comes to designing their wedding shoes?
“There is no other brand that allows you to add custom shoe inscriptions on your wedding shoe. From the date of your wedding, the couple’s names, short vows… they can all be inscribed on the sole of your custom shoes.”
#8 Can brides design their bridesmaid shoes on Shoenvious?
“Absolutely. A bride can order shoes for herself and her entourage and the shoes will be created with a special label with the bride’s name. This is a product/service we’re shortly launching.”
THE QUICK FIRE ROUND
#1 Summer or Winter? “Summer.”
2 Heels or flats? “Heels all the way.”
#3 Pet hate? “Asking me questions that Google can answer.”
#4 Favourite wine? “Sparkling.”
#5 Pearls or diamonds? “Diamonds.”
#6 Coffee or tea? “Soda!”
#7 Favourite destination? “Maldives.”
#8 Early rise or lie in? “Lie in.”
#9 Dressed up or dressed down in denim? “Dressed up.”
#10 Favourite book? “Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo.”
#11 Favourite way to relax? “Spa or Netflix.”
#12 One piece of business advice on running and creating a brand: “Be prepared to hustle.”
#13 Social media hate? “Pretentious posts.”
#14 Social media love: “The ability to connect with anyone and everyone.”
Want to discover more from Shoenvious and design your own bespoke bridal shoes? Click here.
For more bridal shoe inspiration on Bridal Editor, click here.
