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Meet the team
 Steve Fitzsimmons - ProprietorSteve Fitzsimmons became the proud owner of Edwards of Manchester in May 2008. We asked him to tell us more about himself and his plans for the business:I’m originally from the Lake District and have been in the retail business for 23 years – mainly men’s and women’s clothing , including fashion labels G-star, Diesel, Firetrap and also some footwear brands like Jeffrey West, Nicholas Deakins and Patrick Cox. So I have been involved in footwear to a certain extent but not like I am now with Edwards! I was also an agent and distributor for an Italian clothing company and an agent for a Brazilian shoe company which is how I was introduced to the previous owner of Edwards of Manchester and bought the business from him when it came up for sale. What excited you about Edwards of Manchester? The quality and the market they were in – at the top end supplying good quality footwear..... 80% of it being British. Where do you want to take the business? Edwards of Manchester is the second oldest shoe shop in the world (established in 1830) and used to make their own shoes. We are going back into designing and making our own shoes again through our Edwards 1830 range and currently use other factories to manufacture them. Our long term goal is to have shoe makers back onsite in our sub-basement, like it used to be in the 1830s. Any other exciting developments to share with us? The recent refurbishment of our ladies department is looking great and now compliments our upmarket men’s department; we’re continuing to develop our own Edwards 1830 range and looking at bringing even more contemporary British brands into the store. We also have a number of other plans in the pipeline that we can’t talk about yet! How many pairs of shoes have you taken home since buying the store? Around 12 pairs! What’s your favourite brand in-store? Crockett & Jones. I’m wearing some of their handgrade black toe cap lace up Oxfords today which I love. I also like Cheaney’s range. Other Steve facts – he’s a bit of a petrol head: Up until recently I raced boats competitively. I was 3rd in the British championship for a while. After one too many crashes (I wrote off one of my boats in quite a serious crash) I made the decision to give it up and concentrate on business!  Craig Johnson - Men’s ManagerHow long have you worked for Edwards of Manchester?11 years What’s the best thing about working here? Dealing with people - meeting the customers and the high level of personal service we provide. There’s also a lot that goes into making our shoes, they are very high quality and there’s a lot of technical knowledge to learn. I have a passion for all of our products. I also like that we are able to ‘tweak’ a pair of shoes to fit the individual for maximum comfort by stretching for example and we can do some repairs onsite – feet aren’t symmetrical, but shoes are so we sometimes have to ‘tweak’ for the perfect fit. How many pairs of shoes do you own? A gentleman doesn’t like to say! Your most treasured pair? The Gaziano & Girling hole cut dark brown Oxford shoes I’m wearing today, they’re the most expensive pair I own, they’re also the most comfortable and most worn! I don’t believe in keeping shoes ‘for best’ and wear my favourites all the time. Your preferred brand? Churches – they suit my feet although I am partial to Gaziano & Girling too. Anything in-store you’ve got your eye on: I’ve just ordered a pair of bespoke custom made Grenson shoes - they’re bench-made which means all cut by hand and stitched by machine and like all of our shoes will be cut from one piece of leather for a unique finish. They’re the ultimate in shoes! I compare shoes to cars – the better quality shoes the better the performance!  Peter Leighton - Assistant ManagerHow long have you worked for Edwards of Manchester?10 years What’s the best thing about working here? The shoes, I love them. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Around ten pairs. Your most treasured pair? The Crockett & Jones shoes I’m wearing today, they’re very comfortable and stylish too. Your preferred brand? Crockett & Jones – the shape of their shoes or ‘last’ (which is the technical term) suits my feet. The shape of their shoes has changed in recent years to have a more elongated toe for a more modern feel. They also do more heavy duty winter shoes with rubber soles. Anything in-store you’ve got your eye on: I love Stemar’s Oxford Toe cap Limited edition shoes in Wheat yellow. I always think you should wear colourful shoes to brighten up a dull suit or black trousers, it’s all about the shoes for me! Who do you think always has great shoe style?: Apart from me? Our regular customers of course, they have great taste, including former Dr Who Christopher Eccleston, actor John Thomson and a host of other celebrities and sportsmen who shop here.  Brenda Johnson - General ManagerHow long have you worked for Edwards of Manchester?12 years Wow that’s a long time, you must have seen a lot of changes over the years? Yes a lot! Most recently in the ladies’ department, the profile has changed a lot over the years and the styles and brands we offer has become much more diverse recently. What’s the best thing about working here? The personal service, spending time with the customers... and the shoes are quite nice too! Unpacking the new season stock is great, I tend to buy as I’m unpacking. The staff here are encouraged to try out new brands and styles so we can pass first-hand knowledge onto our customers (ok we believe you!) So how many pairs of shoes do you own? Erm....I wouldn’t like to say, my husband might read this! I do have regular clear outs for charity but we did have to build a dedicated shoe cupboard for me at home so yes I do have a lot of shoes! Your favourite brand? It’s really difficult to say - I like them all! Bourne make beautiful affordable shoes and the Pura Lopez and Salvador Sapena ranges are gorgeous too. Anything in-store you’ve got your eye on? I’ve just bought these beautiful patent Hogl loafers which are flat and so comfortable for working in the store all day as well as looking good. I’ve got my eye on a few handbags in store too! Who do you think always has great shoe style? Me of course!  Mark Firth - Company AccountantHow long have you worked for Edwards of Manchester?11 years but just 1 year in the store’s office onsite. What’s the best thing about working here? The friendly team – I enjoy working onsite in the store and being in the thick of the action. The business is built on customer service and personal service and it’s good to be around to see it in action. The quality of our product is also outstanding so I’m proud to work for the company. How many pairs of shoes do you own? I’m an accountant and not really a shoe person so not too many! Your preferred brand? I always wear Barker shoes, they’re very comfortable. Anything in-store you’ve got your eye on: Yes these Crockett & Jones Russell shoes in Burnished brown, they’re really nice and in the sale too! |