Blackpool woman's shoe dilemma leads to new business

The business idea stood out after Suzie Jewsbury struggled to find the present she was looking for on the internet.

She had decided to buy her friend a pair of Wonder Woman themed shoes for her birthday but after expecting to find lots of style choices when she looked online, she found herself disappointed.

The small range of footwear that she could find online was either the wrong style or a poor quality finish.

As an art college graduate and a self-confessed design perfectionist Suzie decided the only option was to make the shoes herself.

Having borrowed her friend’s favourite dancing shoes, Suzie set about restyling the footwear for the special day. After dozens of compliments on the revamped shoes, Suzie ended up being inundated with requests and orders to upgrade people’s footwear.

From colour co-ordinated heels for a day at the races, to flowery shoes to go with a matching bag and embellished bridal shoes, Suzie began to kick-start the idea of a brand new business – Suzie Jewsbury Bespoke Shoes and Accessories.

To turn her idea into a fully-fledged company, Suzie turned to Blackpool Council’s Get Started service, to give her the experience and advice needed to help the business stand on its own two feet. The idea turned into reality when, through help from Blackpool Council’s Get Started team, Suzie was able to create a full business plan and access the team’s business experience to turn a hobby into a working business.

Suzie said: “The aim of the ultra-high quality finish with precise attention to detail is to make the shoes or bag look like they were bought to perfectly match.

“Fancy shoes worn with a plain outfit can be an absolute head turner. As anyone that has looked for outfit matching colours knows it can be a long search that sometimes remains fruitless. What’s best about it is that I transform your own shoes. So whether it’s a new pair you’ve bought or your favourite dancing shoes, you are guaranteed a perfect fit and heel height.”