When did a pair of designer shoes become 500 quid? That's a question we've been asking ourselves recently. We can remember a pair of quality designer shoes being about £250 or £300 but now all of a sudden they are £500, and, that's a lot of money. Spotting a gap in the market is Oliver Spencer who has seen a need for quality, reasonably priced footwear. His latest venture is a shoe shop in Lamb Conduit Street which he hopes to roll out across the country.
Oliver has been in business for over 20 years having opened his first shop when he was 21 in Jermyn Street. Well known for his outerwear, Oliver Spencer has grown to include international stores in New York and Toronto. He started his eponymous business 8 years ago and now along with ex-Liberty menswear buyer, Simon Spiteri he has cherry picked the best brands to stock in his new enterprise. " We sat down and complied a list, we had Vera - the original espadrille, Gourmet and Converse" says Oliver. "We wanted a place where one week a guy could spend £50 and then come back and spend £250".
About 60% of the shop is Oliver's own brand which is made in Northampton with a proper goodyear welted sole with the rest being a tasteful selection of brands with an expertise in their field.
"Where I got the real taste for the shoe thing was I did a collaboration with Topman and it completely sold out. I saw a problem with the way shoes were 
being sold, and thought this is all wrong, I wanted a place where service is nice and shoes were value for money. I wanted to have fantastic shoes with a place to show them off."
None of the shoes are over £250, which certainly makes the shop less daunting, and are displayed in a clean and minimal environment alongside interesting accessories. Oliver's tasteful eye makes this the perfect place for guys who like quality but don't want to pay for designer's marketing budgets.
Find out more about Oliver's shoe shop - Click here
