LOVEYOUR SHOES

AND WEARTHEM TOO

a i r a n d g r a c e l o n d o n . c o m

Ha! Yes it did actually. Once you try our shoes and hear what women say about them they’re very hard to resist. What is next for Air & Grace?

The sky’s the limit. We’re going to be doing loafers, boots and heels, always with our trademarked Tender Loving Air ®. There's a super hot collaboration on the cards too, but I can't say too much... I probably already have.  And finally, three words to describe how wearing a really great pair of shoes makesyou feel…

Can I have four? Uplifted, empowered, confident, andkick-ass!  Claire Burrows:Born in Liverpool but grew up in London. No one can ever work out my accent.Studied at London College of FashionFirst job was general dogs body in the buying department at Office London. Best career moment trying on the first Air & Grace prototype. Most expensive shoes Alexander Wang peep toe bootees £550.My style icon has to be Jenna Lyons, she can do no wrong.Ideal Air & Grace celebrity Laura bailey makes kooky eccentricity look effortless.

60 SECONDS WITH AIR & GRACE FOUNDERCLAIRE BURROWSHaving launched her brand in 2012, entrepreneur and shoe lover Claire Burrows has already made her mark in the fashion world winning the inaugural Worth Foundation prize. We caught up with our intrepid founder for 60 seconds. Hi Claire, tell us what’s been happening since you won the award and how has it helped you move the brand on?

In short it’s been fantastic. The business has really gathered momentum with the exposure. It’s been a real turning point. What prompted you to createAir & Grace?

I spend a lot of money on shoes. But I was tired of all the lovely shoes I had that I never wore, because they’d ruin my day. I ended up planning my outfit based around one or two pairs I knew I could depend on. I hated how this limited my style. I wanted beautiful shoes that I could walk, not taxi about town in.  You have a mantra can you tell us about this?

Love your shoes, and wear them too. We’re all busy. We need shoes to look fantastic and enable us to take whatever the day throws at us.  What makes Air & Grace shoesso special?

Our shoes have got the feel good factor. When you’re pounding the pavement all day that matters. Wear-ability is the heart of our design process. Tender Loving Air®, our patent pending technology feels like a running shoe wrapped up in a ballet flat. The Holy Grail!  What feedback have you had from women so far?

I was meeting a shop owner who was interesting in stocking Air & Grace. Two women came in and accidently tried on my samples. They asked if they could buy them there and then!

Did that convince the shop to stock them?

CONTENTSISSUE 104 WALK IN THEIR SHOES We follow 7 busy women around town

12 Inside my wardrobe Shoes I love but never wear

17 WALK IN OUR SHOES 3 women give us their verdict on Air & Grace

18 TENDER LOVING AIR Revealing the hidden feel good factor in our shoes

21 What your shoes say about you Who knew a pair of trainers could say so much

21 Vox Pop You talk #mysolemates

#FOOTNOTES

WALK IN THEIR SHOES01

7 D A Y S 1 4 F E E T

WALK INTHEIR SHOES

EditorS A R A H W E S T W O O D

Production EditorPA N N A R O S E

Sub-editorE D E N C A R T E R

DesignO U R D E S I G N A G E N C Ywww.ourdesignagency.com

Art directionG R A N T W I L L I S

PhotographyL U C Y P O P E www.lucypope.com

We follow 7 busy womenaround town

Laura Harmes-Heywood

Amanda Harvey

Panna Patel

Faith Willis

Lee Beattie

Emma Walden

Fiona Lloyd

L A U R A H A R M E S - H E Y W O O D

Laura Harmes-Heywood is a Stylist & Personal Stylist.Past experience includes time as a high profile Personal Shopper for Topshop and she has worked with supermodels David Gandy and Kate Moss among others.

Morning begins with a splash of cold water to the face and a strong black coffee whether it is a 4am start for a dawn call time, or a more leisurely 7am rise. I love to spring over for a swim at the lido right near my house first thing whenever possible. It gets me going and I use this time to think over the day ahead.

Every day is different dependingon what I’m working on – thereare usually emails, prepping ordiscussing concepts with clientsfor shoots or personal styling.This may lead to drawing upmood boards, brainstormingideas and researching whereI’ll source items.

I want my shoes to make an impact and work with my outfit

without me being conscious of them on my feet. Being in pain is not an option and more to the point is never a good look! I do love a heel but literally never wear stilettos – there’s nothing elegant about wobbling about – it’s block heel with a slight platform for me.

Then it’s off to a meeting or flitting about town shopping for photo shoots, or shopping with or for clients, or running about on set from dawn till dusk! A recent shoot involved a 4am rise and a 10pm finish everyday for 4 days. Shows and parties can also be fun – although the heel of one of my wedges came off after the Unique show a few seasons back as I was running through Waterloo station… not so fun!

My days can be long, but when time allows I enjoy a yoga or Pilates class in the evening to recuperate after a day on my feet or carrying heavy bags. Also I’ll go for dinner with my boyfriend or friends, or have people over – we have a 10

J O B T I T L EStylistFreelance

S TA R T E D I N2004

FAV O U R I T E S H O P SI like & Other Stories, Topshop Boutique and Cos and Zara, as well as a good helping of vintage. For more high-octane pieces I love Mara Hoffman, Marant, Marni, and I recently wore a gorgeous Esteban Cortezar to an event.

U N W O R N S H O E SI was given a sample pair of pony skin Jeffrey Campbell’s and fell clean over in them the very first outing, the first and last time I have fallen in heels. Suffice to say they have never seen the light of day since!

person dining table so plenty of scope for entertaining.

My LookI have a definite bohemian yet refined edge. I'm not afraid to make a bold statement with print. I live in silk and natural fabrics, as it feels so good against the skin and allows movement.

Bad shoe dayCentral Line. Rush hour. I’m wearing flats. I was going to change into the heels at the office. The tube was full so I stepped off to at Liverpool Street to allow people off. As I step back on my right shoe slips clean off, and oh yes, goes down ‘the gap’ – the doors close and off we go! I stood there in shock surrounded by men in suits laughing at my one bare foot. Incredibly one of them took it upon himself to carry me to the doors of work so I didn’t have to hobble there!

YOU NEED TO THINK ON YOUR FEET

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laura.hh@icloud.com

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IT’SFULL

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Amanda Harvey has worked in the production and post-production visual effects industry for nearly 3 decades. Working on the classic James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough and ads for Talk Talk. She is Managing Director and Founder of creative studio Luma and mum to three girls.

I’m up at 6.15 for a run, followed by some yoga stretches. Get breakfast on table and at 7.15 wake my three children and jump in the shower. Leave the house at 8.10 for the school run (we live in the middle of the countryside so have a 30 min drive to school) drop all children off at their schools and then head for car park for the 8.55 train to London. Arrive at work just after 9.45.

While I am out running its thinking time for the day ahead – it’s is my time to plan the day. The first thing every morning is a status meeting on the jobs in production – 3D animation in particular is a tricky beast so they can take up to 2 hours. Then I’ll have clients attending the studio to see their work in progress too, or I might have to leg it over to Soho for a meeting. I’m up and down stairs trouble shooting, looking after my team, ensuring that we deliver high standards. This role really

isn’t for the faint hearted!

If I have a big event in the evening I pack a great high heel. I’m known for my very high shoes. I like statement shoes and clothes that say I am in control, confident of my brand and my team. But running around doing school runs and a long commute into London are not conducive to high heels so it’s small-heeled boots at a push. Like most women I have my flats in my bag and nip on my high heels before I arrive at work.

I am on my feet from 6.15am until around 8pm at night with very little chance for sitting down. So at the end of the day I just want to cuddle with my girls, and

break out the popcorn and a movie.

Bad shoe dayRunning for the tube at King’s Cross as the doors were about to shut, I stepped onto the train and my left shoe came off on the platform. As I turned around to jump off, the tube doors shut. Fortunately, a very lovely man (who was laughing his head off) picked it up for me and mouthed that he would leave it on the bench. I had to get off at Euston and walk through rush hour with one shoe on and one shoe off back to King’s Cross to collect my shoe. Thankfully it was still waiting for me on the bench.

A M A N D A H A R V E Y

J O B T I T L EManaging Director& FounderLuma London

S TA R T E D I N2011

I L O V E M Y J O BI love watching a project come to life from initial concept through to storyboard stage and final end delivery.

FAV O U R I T E S H O E SI have 3 pairs of shoes in my wardrobe that I love the style of but they are simply too high and I just can’t walk in them. It’s a real shame, not to mention a waste of money, but I can’t bring myself to give them away.

M O S T E X P E N S I V E S H O E SLouboutins that cost a cool £750 pounds a few years back – they come out on very special occasions.

A D V I C ERichard Branson gave me some advice “When running a team always surround yourself with people who are better than you and lock the ego away in a cupboard!” How true I find that quote these days.

www.luma-london.com

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SARAH FOWLERSHOE LOVERI am a big fan of flats when I'm at home or doing the school run.

If it's a workday, I like a bit of a heel! I love a mid heel, as that way I can still walk at pace to the tube station... and collect various kids on the way home.

Comfort is more important to me now than it was in my twenties. Also, as I’m prepared to spend a little more on shoes these days, I would say that great design and shoes that stand out are more important than they were.

Good shoes are very easy to justify on the basis that a pair that is gorgeous to look at and also comfortable to wear is worth paying extra for.

My perfect Saturday shopping would be to head to Regent's Street, starting at Liberty then taking in Anthropologie and J.Crew.

If I had £1,000 to spend on shoes, first I would go onto Net-a-Porter for ideas and inspiration. Then I think I would head to a shoe department at a department store to get a range of brands under one roof. I would probably split my budget and end up with 3-4 pairs for that amount!

My most expensive shoes were some Christian Louboutin flats, which were expensive but got lots of cost per wear... because they were flat.

The shoes I love but never wear are my wedding shoes which are Lulu Guinness. I’ve only worn them twice!

I have bought uncomfortable shoes without realising it at the time, but I have worn them anyway!

I am definitely sentimental about shoes and even keep ones that don't get much wear. Sometimes I have bought beautiful shoes in the sale and only worn them only a few times, but they are lovely to look at, and who knows, one day my daughter Polly might want to borrow them. My prettiest shoes are a pair I don't wear very often, but they make me smile when I do! 

THESHOESI LOVEand the onesI never wear.

P A N N A P A T E L

Panna Patel has worked in the design industry for two decades, for clients including Costa, Raymond Blanc, and Unilever. She is Managing Director and Co Founder of Our Design Agency, a new brand consultancy based in London’s Shoreditch. Most of outfits start with shoes and are often based on my diary; if I’ve got lots of running around to do then it’s smart flats or boots, if not, a pair of mid-heels. I think shoes often make or break an outfit, and in my case they can even lift or ruin my mood, so I do consider shoe choice carefully. I dress smartly because meetings can pop up at any time, but really I just like dressing up. In the creative industry we work in, my role is sometimes referred to as ‘suit’ which sounds a bit dull. I don't believe people all look like carbon copies. I like to express my slightly mad personality through my clothes and jewelry.

I work late, so rarely get more than 6 hours sleep. My alarm goes off at 6.15am. I snooze for 5 minutes, but once I check my emails I’m off and running. I dream of bacon butties most mornings but naughtily skip breakfast on most days and run to make my train, quick tube ride, then a march to the office. I bought lots of flat shoes for my commute and I prefer to walk wherever possible, but they still hurt my feet, and I end up missing my gorgeous heels.

I’m always on the phone, keeping in touch with my clients, and talking to my team even if I'm on the move. I manage a very creative team of writers, designers and directors, often to very tight deadlines. But if I’ve got time in between meetings I always try to find time to squeeze in a sneaky trip to Oxford street.

I’m often late for my train home as there’s always one more phone call or email to send out or call to be made. You’ll probably see me flying through Waterloo station to get home in time for my son’s bath, bed and story. I love cooking but sometimes I’m so pooped, the most I can manage is a glass of wine and a bag of crisps!

Bad shoe dayHaving shredded my feet the previous day, I wore trainers to the office, only to be told I had to urgently meet Bill Clinton’s PR person (the one who helped him spin the Monica Lewinsky story!) who was representing one of my a clients. I sent out someone to buy me a pair of shoes. £165 later, I was the owner of the most disgusting shoes, which gave me blisters on top of blisters! Gutted but hopefully the charity shop found them a new home!

J O B T I T L EBusiness Director& Co FounderOur Design Agency

S TA R T E D I N2014

C A R E E R H I G H L I G H T SWinning a creative award in my first year of work was a real thrill, and being promoted to MD at my last agency was another very proud moment. I hope there’s more to come!

T I P F O R S TA R T I N G Y O U R O W N B U S I N E S S ?Never burn your bridges. Your little black book is invaluable and will open doors. Keep real, have bags of energy and work your socks off.

S H O E S A R E M Y W E A K N E S S ;some still have the tags on. My first were a pair of patent snakeskin leather Louboutins. I now have six pairs, and the most amazing Marni boots, which I just stare at, as they’re so uncomfortable.

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I SQUEEZE SHOPPINGAROUND MEETINGS

www.our-design-agency.com

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F A I T H W I L L I S

Working mum of two Faith Willis is co-founder of award-winning Hertfordshire clothing store The Women’s Society Boutique. A typical day for me during the buying season starts at 6:30am. I don't need an alarm as my two-and-a-half year old daughter Tabitha wakes me up! I have breakfast with her, 12-week-old Hugo and my husband, pack Tabitha’s lunch box and feed our gorgeous Persian cat Monty, then shower and dress before leaving the house at 7:45am.

It’s an hour journey to Tabitha’s nursery and then a five-minute walk to our shop in Hertford. After I drop her, Hugo and I walk to the shop to say good morning to the girls. I check the website sales, meet up with my business partner Victoria and then we get the train into London for our first buying appointment at around 10:30am.

I'm very conscious that I’ll be on my feet all day. A pair of ankle boots with a mid heel gives me a little bit of comfort and support, but with some height to still feel a bit glamorous. My style is quite classic: skinny jeans, buttoned shirt. My trademark look since having children is an oversized printed scarf. It's functional as it allows me to feed Hugo in privacy and it looks great. 

Before having Hugo I would cram in four appointments a day; with Hugo I do two. I try and book them in one area of London as not to walk all over town. My suppliers have known me for years so bringing Hugo along isn't a problem.

At 4pm we get the train back to Hertford to collect Tabitha. If there’s time I will pop back to the office with both children to catch up. Then we drive home and start the bedtime routine of bath, bed and story.

Once they’re asleep I get changed into my pyjamas and get comfy. I have dinner with my husband who has got in from work and then I check my email and update the business Facebook page. Finally I get the kids bags ready for the next day before going to bed around 10pm!

Bad shoe dayI was out for the day and the strap on my beautiful leather sandals completelysnapped. It was irreparable and the only shop close by was a stationers. So I went in, bought some Sellotape and proceeded to tape the shoe to my foot. I wrapped the Sellotape around the sole of the sandal and over the front of my foot. It lookedhilarious but was all I could do until I got to a shop to buy a new pair of shoes for the day!

J O B T I T L EManaging director& Co founderThe Womens Society Boutique

S TA R T E D I N2006

C A R E E R H I G H L I G H T SWinning Hertfordshire retailer of the year. and being nominated by Drapers for women’sretailer of the year, 3 years running. That said, being listed as one of the top 50 independents in the uk is probably the biggest highlight.

T H E C H A L L E N G EIs always forecasting. Trying to figure out what our customers will want over 6 months in advance. I love making a great sale in the shop too and knowing what I ordered when buying has been well received by my customers.

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KEYS.. .CHECK,BAG.. .CHECK,

BABY.. .CHECK.

www.womens-society.co.uk

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"THE SOLES ACTUALLY

FEEL MORE LIKE TRAINERS!"

"I TOTALLY SEE MYSELFWEARING THESE ALL DAY"

WALK INOUR SHOES3 women give us theirverdict on Air & Grace

"THEY LOOK GOOD ANDTHEY FEEL REALLY BOUNCY!"

ELLIE CARTERSOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST"I've always admired the way other people look in ballet flats, but I have never worn them before myself because they always seemed so flimsy! I live in central London and I was worried about my feet feeling really exposed walking on busy city streets, taking the Tube or running for buses and cabs in thin-soled shoes. So even though the ballet flat style was one I loved, the thought of wearing them really didn't appeal.

These feel much different though; the soles actually feel more like trainers! The padding underfoot feels lovely and much more substantial than ballet flats I've tried in the past, so I'm not worried about hurting my feet. They're also appear noticeably more durable than other ballet flats I've seen, so I imagine they'd last longer. I think they're great and I only wish I'd found shoes like this sooner!"

JANE MAPLESFLORIST"I spend a lot of time on my feet, standing up all day in the shop, so I wouldn't normally wear ballet flats but these are great. They look good and they feel really bouncy! I love how well cushioned they are and the without compromising on style too.

I have often struggled with foot and even back pain caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes for long periods of time. These proved to be a great improvement, with the bonus of looking gorgeous too!”

GEMMA HARRISONMEDIA PRODUCTION"I usually throw on some trainers for the commute home, but I totally see myself wearing these all day. They're so comfortable it actually feels like you're wearing trainers, but because they look really smart you don't have to change into "office shoes". You can avoid leaving the office and walking to the station in that frumpy 'sports shoes with office clothes' look.

I like to look good and I've always wished there was a decent, stylish alternative to wearing my trainers on the commute to and from the office, so for me these would be a life changing shoes! I wouldn't need to worry about which shoes I had left at work, either. They would really simplify things. They're amazing!"

Lee Beattie has worked in PR for more than a decade. She is co-founder of Wire Media, an award-winning communications agency specialising in PR, events and social media for a mix of clients across the entertainment and brand sectors.

I wake up at 6.30am most days then spend half an hour going through emails and social media, sending various links to clients and staff, before heading to the office at about 8am after one peppermint tea. 

The variety and fast pace of my job means that it's never dull. There’s a lot of standing on tubes going to

meetings, standing around TV studios as clients are interviewed or running around venues at launches and events. One week can involve managing the media and red carpet for BAFTA Scotland, launching a pub on a 150ft crane for Whyte and Mackay, taking a press trip to the Waterloo Road set, launching a new album for Heather or walking for miles across a field with TV crews and photographers for T in the Park. 

I've always worked in the PR industry. I suppose that not many people in other jobs have ever had to tell Atomic Kitten to stop jumping off a table on the

Smash Hits tour, run to John Lewis at the speed of Usain Bolt to calm down a crying actress who had laddered her tights before a premiere, or even had to dress up as an elf for a photo shoot because a model hadn't turned up.It's difficult to ever really switch off.

It's not a 9-5 job – basically, if a client needs you, then you have to be available at all times. The introduction of social media has also really increased the pace of the job because now stories can break instantly, whereas previously you used to have a whole day to deal with something before it would be in print.

I like to unwind at the end of a day by putting my feet up with Green & Black’s chocolate, my partner and endless streaming of Netflix.

Bad shoe dayI was working at a festival all week and half way through I had an award ceremony to attend. I realised on the day that I hadn’t brought any shoes and only had festival wellies with me. I had to dash to Office just before the shop closed and buy a pair. It wasnlt until I got ready that night that I discovered one of the shoes was my correct size of a 5 and the other one was a 7 and I had to wear them.

L E E B E A T T I E

J O B T I T L ECo FounderWire Media

S TA R T E D I N2010

C L I E N T SBafta Scotland, Tennent’s Lager, Vladivar Vodka,T in the Park, Waterloo Road, Heather Peace and Susie Wolff.

C A R E E R H I G H L I G H T SWinning Best SME Agency at the Marketing Awards this year and also hiring such an amazing team of creative, clever people to work with.

B E S T C E L E B R I T Y M O M E N TWe managed press days for Victoria Pendleton and Denise Lewis at the Be:Fit event this year and both were incredibly inspiring. Whenever I’m at the gym I remember Victoria saying:“You’re not doing it right if it’s not ugly!”

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www.wire-media.co.uk

PRIS FAST-PACED.NEVERDULL.

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1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. 2. Aenean odio tellus, aliquet a nisl non, 3. consectetur viverra leo. 4. Sed blandit odio vitae orci accumsan, 5. eu cursus arcu congue. Curabitur congue dui tellus, 6. at feugiat quam facilisis id. 7. Sed tristique gravida sodales. 8. Proin rutrum imperdiet felis, 9. ut commodo dolor feugiat vel. 10. Pellentesque aliquam lacus.

We make beautiful shoes for busy feet, shoes made for running around, not taxi-ing around town.

All Air & Grace shoes feel fabulous underfoot. They give your feet bounce and your toes wiggle room. Our patent pending Tender Loving Air® technology provides three layers of luxurious memory foam cushioning cleverly hidden, so you can enjoy the feel good factor without compromising on style.

Love your shoes and wear them too. Walk on Tender Loving Air®.

TENDER LOVING AIR ®

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A LOVE AFFAIR INNUMBERSWe do love our shoes. Here are the facts, from how much we spend, to the amount of pairs we own, and the top five reasons they go unworn.

£490is the average amount

women spend ontheir shoe collection

9in10women admit having at

least one pair of shoes they've never worn 1/2

More than half of womensaid they had boughtfootwear that was

impossible to match with any of their outfits

Top5

reasons why pairsgo unworn

1. Too uncomfortable

2. Impractical heel

3. Don't match any outfits

4.Too expensive to wear

5.An unwanted gift

*Statistics taken from research conducted by money saving website VoucherCodesPro.co.uk from a poll conducted of 2,352 women aged 18and over from across the UK after noting a surge in online searches for women's shoes early 2014.

WHAT WE WEAR ON OURFEET CAN SAY A LOT ABOUTOUR PERSONALITY. The old saying, that you can tell a lot about someone by her shoes, contains a lot of truth. Did you know that people can interpret feelings, attitudes, and potentially even personality, from your choice of footwear? Podolinguists read into people’s shoe choices and can tell whether they are practical or lazy, into a certain brand, a perfectionist, a show-off, sweet or charming. Take for example the girl who removes her trainers after her commute to pop on a pair of great heels before she enters the office. You might describe her as practical and effi-cient. She understands she can’t function in those heels all day, but once she enters the building she wants to be taller, feel smart-er and more assured that she has power over situations. Shoes form part of our identity. They help us to feel confident; they make us feel com-plete in the world around us. Shoes tell the world about the type of person we want to be. Many women like to wear high-heeled shoes and boots because they make them feel more attractive and more empowered. Look down at your shoes now: why did you pick those shoes today? What do you think they say about you? That you’re sexy? Glamorous? Serious? Contro-versial? Now ask your friends what they have to say. You might be surprised.

Dr Chris Morriss-Roberts is a Podolinguist and shoe–sociologist.

#mysolematesThe old saying, you can tell a lot about someone by her shoes; you can interpret feel-ings, attitude, and potentially even person-ality, just by her choice of footwear.  

e might read into people’s shoes that they are practical, lazy, into a certain brand, a perfectionist,

a show-off, sweet, charming. What about the girl who takes off her trainers to pop on a pair of great heels.

WHATYOUR SHOES

SAY ABOUTYOU

A I R A N D G R A C E

g r a c e @ a i r a n d g r a c e l o n d o n . c o m