I'll hold my hands up and admit that l knew very little about the footwear industry 14 months ago, before l launched Sole of Summer. I have always been a shoe lover but had never really stopped and thought about where my shoes came from, beyond 'made in Spain'. On my journey of discovery I realised, very quickly, that I didn’t want to simply buy and sell shoes, with no connection to the process. Partly because I am the type of person who ‘needs to know’ all the details and once l knew the details, it was a light bulb moment for me. l knew this was a story I wanted to tell and share.

Having a history degree, I was fascinated to learn that the story of espadrille making started 6000 years ago in Spain! A historical shoe that has stood (excuse the pun!) the test of time. It may have come and gone in fleeting fashion trends but has remained a steadfast shoe for the summer months for the practical reason, it is comfortable and for me that is a non-negotiable. (No sinking into the grass at weddings and no sore feet when standing up all day at the races).

Endless research led me to Elche (near Alicante) and the Murcia region of Spain. Having been a lover of Spanish shoes I had no idea that this was one of the main regions in Spain for shoe making. It very quickly became apparent that finding the right suppliers and manufacturers was not only the key founding stone for Sole of Summer to produce good quality shoes but also that their story was going to be central to our story.  

I was quickly immersed in the culture of Espadrilles. The tradition and passion for making all aspects of these shoes can be found in the wonderful people and businesses who are pivotal to our shoe and ribbon production. They wanted to show and tell me their business story, their passion for their craftsmanship was electric and this is what l wanted to encapsulate in each of  the designs we make. The tradition, the skill and the history is woven into each stitch of our shoes and ribbons.

The story of Sole of Summer is inspired by joyful memories of sunny times. Stories and memories from gatherings with friends, to days spent on the beach with wind breaks and sandy sandwiches along with daydreams of special holiday memories created in magical holiday destinations around the world. When the sun shines everything feels so alive, almost 'solar charged'. We feel more energised and playful and this is reflected in the colours we wear and the way we often change up the way we dress. We step up and dress up as we don’t need to cover up in our winter coats and boots. It is these sunny occasions that call for a 'jazzy shoe', something to give us a spring in our step, to stand out from the crowd. Move over beige shoes! We crave shoes that reflect all the joy we feel in those sunny memory creating moments.

Each of our shoes are designed and made to tell our story, the story of the tradition and passion of espadrille heritage and the story of laughter filled sunny days. The espadrille encapsulates summer. I want the warmth of the sun to be felt in the colours we choose. The tassels and patterns add that eye-catching, stand out from the crowd element, that l hope will make people stop and ask, where are your shoes from? and you'll be able to tell them the story of Sole of Summer.