‘My sore feet gave me a fab business!’

Katie Owen, 39, lives in Hanwell with her husband, Andy, 39, and their two young children.

‘Wincing in pain, I hobbled into my office in my uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. I loved how heels transformed an outfit as I went to my job in finance in London, but my wide feet made them pinch and rub.

“Why not design a range yourself then?” suggested one of my clients when I complained.

At first, I laughed – I knew nothing about shoe design or manufacturing.

But when she offered to introduce me to a contact at a shoe factory, my curiosity was piqued. I went to see the factory owner, who explained they only made normal fit shoes. If I wanted to place an order, I’d have to have special wide “lasts” made, which are the moulds that shoes are made around. The industry wasn’t geared up to make shoes for women like me, and I felt sure there would be a market for stylish designs.

TAKING THE FIRST STEP

To help put my theory to the test, I commissioned a survey using a market research company. It cost around £2,000, but was worth it. Of the 900 UK women asked, over half said they felt they had wide feet. I’d hit upon a gap in the market.

However, I needed to learn more, so I paid £500 for an evening course at the London College of Fashion in 2012, where I discovered the basics of shoe design. I’d rush there after work and lose myself sketching shoes.

It cost me around £25,000 from my savings to turn my idea into a business, paying for a website to be designed, applying for trademarks, and getting prototypes of my designs made, plus all the materials for each shoe and the branded packaging. The outlay was huge, but I still had my job, and Andy was really supportive. I’d have felt more nervous spending the bank’s money.

Swot up on social media. It’s a powerful, and free, way to market your business before you launch.

You don’t have to quit your day job to become an entrepreneur. It’s possible to have a dual career.

It’s never too late to learn new skills. Ask your local college about courses relevant to your idea.

I researched materials and chose soft but durable kid leather and suede. Although the factory would have made to order, which would have been cheaper for me as I wouldn’t have had to buy stock, I didn’t want customers to have to wait up to six weeks for their shoes. So I pre-ordered a small amount of stock to begin with, both from a UK factory and a Spanish one, which I found when I attended a trade show in Alicante. Seeing my designs as actual shoes was surreal but wonderful. I felt so proud.

I spent evenings and weekends on the business, often feeling guilty I wasn’t spending enough time with my sons. However, I knew this intense period of preparation would only be short-term.

I launched my company, Sargasso & Grey, in May 2014, with shoes priced from £145, but quickly realised I’d made a big error: I hadn’t done any marketing. It meant that during the first year I received just one or two orders a month.

But after securing press coverage by contacting journalists online and getting featured on style blogs, things slowly grew. Now I receive orders every day and ship all over the world. I keep all the stock in three enormous purpose-built storecupboards at home, and post it out myself. The builder who made the cupboards joked that he thought his wife had a lot of shoes, until he met me!

I still work part time in the City and love having a second career. The company is now turning over around £70,000 a year, and I’ve expanded my range to include bridal and occasion footwear. Feedback has been so positive and getting repeat custom feels fantastic. Having painful shoes has given me an exciting business.’ • sargassoshoes.com