We ♥ Leather

Quality is of the utmost importance to everyone here at Pre Shoes, which is why we are the only producer of baby shoes in the UK to be members of the British Leather Centre. The British Leather Centre is the leading independent leather technology centre, working with hundreds of companies in over 40 countries. 

Established for almost a century, the British Leather Centre delivers a range of leather related services. At Pre Shoes we work very closely with the experts at BLC to ensure the highest of quality standards. All of the leather used by Pre Shoes is tested by them and has been awarded the leathersure mark. Whenever you see this accreditation you can be assured it is quality leather. Their expertise, experience and passion for leather coupled with our fantastic designs really sets Pre Shoes apart.

We're proud to work with other established British organisations who care as much about the quality of our products as we do. We're also proud of our finished products! Check out our full range at:

www.preshoes.co.uk

A Woman's Work Is Never Done

In honour of International Women's Day last week, the blog this week is profiling the Pre Shoes founder, Susie Warner. Pre Shoes has grown into an established, respected and successful company due to Susie's determination and hard work. In her own words:

I took redundancy back in October 2009. I knew I wanted to do something for myself as I was feeling fed up of the rat race and redundancy gave me the platform to do something for myself.  I didn't know what to do at first, but I didn't panic. Instead, I took the time to consider what I am good at.

I've always been very creative, so at first I tried my hand at being a silver smith, which I didn't enjoy. Then someone reminded me that I used to make my own children little shoes when they were little, so I started to think about designs and the materials I would make them out of. I am not a designer by trade, but I am good at drawing and my head is always full of ideas. 

After drawing a few designs, I canvassed a range of people for their input and was thrilled with the response ... so much so that Pre Shoes was born in November 2009. It took a while to get everything in place and I wasn't ready to trade properly until the July of 2010, but I have never been so happy doing my own thing! I didn't know it at the time but redundancy was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was unhappy at work and things needed to change, but sometimes it is a bit scary to do things until a situation forces you to do it. Nowadays, I can't imagine it any other way!

In November of last year I was nominated for a 'Women in Business' award, a moment of real pride for me. The LeicestHER Day Trust Jubilee Awards are held to recognise and celebrate the achievements of business women in Leicester - something I am very proud to be a part of. 

Things continue to go from strength to strength with Pre Shoes, which is great. I still love drawing and designing the shoes, and I'm always on the look out for new inspiration. With 2011 already looking busy, it can only be exciting times ahead!