William Norman Silver Fox Albert Slippers |
I was sent a pair of Silver Fox Albert slippers to try. Beautifully made from luxurious grey velvet piped with black leather, heeled and soled with suede leather and embroidered with a silver fox using silver wire, they're supremely comfortable and look stylish worn with pyjamas, dressing gown, tweed suit (very louche), smoking or dinner jacket.
I asked the founder to tell us more about the brand:
GF: Please introduce yourself and William Norman, the brand.
GF: Please tell what lies behind the design and manufacturer of the footwear that you make.
GF: Please introduce yourself and William Norman, the brand.
WN: My name is William Norman Geall and I established William Norman in 2015. Although the name is mine it was also the name of my late grandfather Norman who served in the second world war like his father before him. He was the epitome of style and elegance and his was the natural name to reflect the heritage of the brand which it inspired. The aim was to deliver high quality meticulously fine crafted footwear, handmade in England, and bespoke pieces built for a modern lifestyle.
GF: How did you come to start the business and what products are your specialty?
WN: Leaving behind a career in finance, with the help of my long time friend and mentor with years of expertise and knowledge in the industry, I was able to realise a longstanding desire to create quality English shoes. We aspire to do things a little differently, to create comfortable yet traditionally elegant shoes with a conscience; we want to encourage people to buy better, and move away from fast fashion and towards made to order.
Our specialties are slippers and loafers. Handmade shoemaking takes an incredible amount of skill and precision - our artisans use the same skills that have been passed down through generations, a process which has been used to make footwear in England for hundreds of years.
WN: Leaving behind a career in finance, with the help of my long time friend and mentor with years of expertise and knowledge in the industry, I was able to realise a longstanding desire to create quality English shoes. We aspire to do things a little differently, to create comfortable yet traditionally elegant shoes with a conscience; we want to encourage people to buy better, and move away from fast fashion and towards made to order.
Our specialties are slippers and loafers. Handmade shoemaking takes an incredible amount of skill and precision - our artisans use the same skills that have been passed down through generations, a process which has been used to make footwear in England for hundreds of years.
Manufacturing William Norman slippers |
GF: Please tell what lies behind the design and manufacturer of the footwear that you make.
WN: Our in-house designer brings a wealth of experience gained working with a leading fashion house, with a shared passion for traditional shoemaking. We want to bring contemporary design to traditional shoemaking, to deliver contemporary style with heritage and bring back the love for well-made, long lasting footwear.
All of our footwear is made to order, which allows us to make only what we need, minimising waste and allowing our artisans to deliver the quality we strive for. We also offer a refurbishment service to prolong the life of our footwear. If you buy well, you need only buy once and these are the principles that the business was founded upon.
All of our footwear is made to order, which allows us to make only what we need, minimising waste and allowing our artisans to deliver the quality we strive for. We also offer a refurbishment service to prolong the life of our footwear. If you buy well, you need only buy once and these are the principles that the business was founded upon.
"William Norman strives to utilise fantastic skilled British businesses, from our shoeboxes and packaging, to our leathers and velvets; we aim to utilise the finest British products, to showcase them across the world"
GF: How important to you is British manufacturing?
WN: All of our footwear is handmade in England, which is something we are incredibly proud of. It was the only place we could make our footwear, to align our principals and goal to build strong foundations for our future.
It is important to us that we collaborate and support other British manufacturers, being part of a wide network in Make it British. William Norman strives to utilise fantastic skilled British businesses, from our shoeboxes and packaging, to our leathers and velvets; we aim to utilise the finest British products, to showcase them across the world.
It is important to us that we collaborate and support other British manufacturers, being part of a wide network in Make it British. William Norman strives to utilise fantastic skilled British businesses, from our shoeboxes and packaging, to our leathers and velvets; we aim to utilise the finest British products, to showcase them across the world.
GF: You provide a bespoke service - how does this work?
WN: We offer a fully bespoke service, should you want to customise your slippers. You can choose from our range of embroideries, or if you have a different style in mind, we can work with you to bring your shoes to life. This ranges from ornate motifs to bespoke lettering. The options are really endless, we can even re-craft material provided by you and offer a free design service, where we consult with you and run through the design process, before crafting your perfect pair of William Norman slippers.
GF: How do you see the business developing in the future?
WN: There are plans to add our line of women's footwear as well as further men’s styles, expanding and reengineering our slippers and adding further styles, such as boots and trainers with our unique design and craftsmanship. There may also be collaborative pieces with other like-minded British manufacturers, with a shared ethos, to bring new ideas, whilst utilising expertise to showcase fine British design. You may also see our footwear being stocked in specialist retailers.
We are also striving to become more sustainable in all of the materials we use and this is how we see the brand developing in the future, as we look to continue to ethically source all of our components from accredited suppliers.
We are also striving to become more sustainable in all of the materials we use and this is how we see the brand developing in the future, as we look to continue to ethically source all of our components from accredited suppliers.
Note: I was provided with a sample of William Norman's slippers (above) the Silver Fox, velvet embroidered and made in England.