Ollie the Donkey

We Love Donkeys

I have always grown up with Donkeys in my life. My Grandad was a lovely man who cared very deeply for animals and as such always had a field of unwanted Donkeys.

Ollie the Donkey

Every time I visited my Grandparent's it was with great excitement to call the donkeys. My Grandad would often saddle one up for me and I took great delight in riding them.

When my Grandad passed away my father took on the role of caring for the donkeys. I recall once that he had heard of two donkeys, that were destined for terrible things. He took those two donkeys into his care but one of them was a Tom and subsequently got all the other females pregnant!! So we had a big baby boom that year.

Recently my father took another donkey in, a Jenny she happened to be pregnant! So late last year we had the safe arrival of Ollie.

I love these animals so much I have decided to do a Pre Shoe with a donkey on it. It is work in progress at the moment but I hope to show it you very soon. I have just one import decision to make, to call it Ollie or Stanley after my Grandad?

First Steps ... Lasting Memories

A baby's first steps, along with their first few words, are some of the proudest milestones for all parents. From first-time mums & dads to experienced grandparents, watching babies become toddlers as they stumble through their first few steps never fails to melt the hardest of hearts. While most parents look forward to that moment and try to encourage their baby's efforts at walking, many wonder when exactly it will happen. The answer is simple - babies walk as soon as they are ready, and not a moment earlier!

Some babies are skilled walkers by nine months, others might not take a single step until 18 months, or even later. Some babies crawl for months first, others miss out the crawling stage altogether. Some wobble and fall down repeatedly, others seem to master balance instantaneously. None of these scenarios indicate a problem, merely a natural developmental difference.

Here at Pre Shoes, we love hearing stories of how your child took their first few steps. Especially if they happen to be wearing a pair of Pre Shoes at the time!

Celebrating our Design Range

 

This month has seen us celebrating our first year in business with a series of special offers. Every single day we have showcased a different design at the special price of £12, including free delivery to anywhere in the UK, and it's proved particularly popular. We've been pleased to reward those fans who follow us on Facebook by making news of each day's offer available there first.

We're also looking forward to the new designs set to launch soon. Susie's flair and creative skill come in to their own in the design process of each new pair of Pre Shoes and this is just as true of the new designs set to launch soon as it is of all of the existing range. We'll be sharing news of the new designs on our Facebook and Twitter pages just as soon as we can. Until then, here's to our next year and all our existing fans!

Not on the High Street

We've been involved with Not on the High Street for some time now - the online source of original quality products from independent businesses. Not on the High Street was founded by Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish back in 2006. They wanted to create a place where you could find all those charming, unique and carefully-made things that you sometimes stumble across in cool urban markets, village fairs and tucked-away boutiques. A place that was quick and easy to get to, where shopping was simple and fun, and where you could always find the most inspirational and wonderful things.

But that’s not all. Every single one of them would be designed, made or selected by an independent small business. A creative and wonderfully talented small business whose passion for quality, innovation and style shone through in every little detail. And so, for all the style seekers out there, Not on the High Street was born. And Pre Shoes are proud to be a part of it!

Introducing ... Lorraine!

It's always an exciting time when any business expands, but with July marking our first year of trading, we're especially delighted to be introducing the latest addition to the Pre Shoes team - our new Office Manager, Lorraine!

This crucial role enables Susie to concentrate on designing the shoes and allows us to cater for the increasing demand for Pre Shoes throughout the UK. As Susie, the founder of Pre Shoes, says:

"I have known Lorraine for many years and I am so pleased that she agreed to come and join Pre Shoes."

Lorraine has a wealth of experience and is also a mother and a grandmother, so she knows first hand the importance of good quality shoes for little ones. She has worked as a nursery day care owner and organised summer playschemes, and is excited to now be a part of the Pre Shoes team:

"It is lovely to be working alongside Susie once again. I do admire the energy and enthusiasm she brings to Pre Shoes, her designs are modern and fun. I am enjoying being involved in a variety of challenges and helping Pre Shoes grow from strength to strength."

Welcome on board, Lorraine!

Welcoming the Interns

Pre Shoes has recently welcomed two new arrivals to its ranks after teaming up with the graduate internship program at a Leicester university. Under the program, individuals get to spend time with and learn from established companies as part of their career development. Lisa Naik, from De Montfort University states, “The graduate internship programme places recent graduates into a range of organisations.  We believe that this will enhance their future career prospects and provide valuable experience for the individuals involved.”

We've been lucky enough to have two interns working with us for a period of five weeks. They're limited to thirty hours a week so we're making the most of that time! From inviting their input into the baby shoe design process to hopefully helping them garner an understanding of life in 'the real world', we feel it's been a great experience all round. Thanks De Montfort!

Naming Baby

There are many wonderful things about expecting a baby ... and deciding which name to choose is one of the more interesting decisions to make during this time. Popular or unusual? Short or lengthy? Traditional or contemporary? So many questions! A quick internet search reveals endless naming possibilites and sometimes the choice can be overwhelming.

The Top Five Boy's names this year are:

1. Jack
2. Cooper
3. Oliver
4. Noah
5. Thomas

The Top Five Girl's names are:

1. Lily
2. Ruby
3. Charlotte
4. Chloe
5. Sophie

How long before William & Kate sneak back in?!

Most parents can count on one hand the number of first names they have to think of ... and the sense that this moniker is important and will last a lifetime is never lost on them. Sometimes those parents want to wait until the baby actually arrives before deciding on a final name. A Thomas can suddenly look like a Jack when you actually meet him! 

For Pre Shoes founder Susie Warner, this naming business has taken on a whole new dimension ever since she started creating shoes. Every new design needs a new name and whilst it might not have the same magnitude as the naming of a baby, it can provide just as many hours of debate! 

Funky Monkey

With twenty-two different shoe designs, and therefore twenty two different names, already under her belt, Susie is no stranger to thinking up new signatures. But with more designs to come in the future, we'd like to open up the naming game and see what suggestions YOU might have for our shoes! 

So, watch this space and have your thinking caps at the ready for when we share our next creations. What will our Top Five names be?