IF THE SHOE FITS
IT'S lucky Selve wasn't around in Cinderella's day or Prince Charming could have found himself in serious trouble. Catering for the smallest, biggest, most irregular or simply anybody's feet, the Jermyn Street-based business is already big news in the fashion world. After measuring your feet every which way, the Selve team then let you get creative with their latest designs so that you can choose the material, colour, heel shape and strap. "One woman cried when she realised we could make her a pair of knee length boots," founder Karen MacIntyre told us. "She had a high instep so she had never found a comfortable pair before." The story began when Karen and her husband John Barron came across Claudia Kierserling's semi-bespoke shoe business during a business trip to Munich last year and liked the idea so much that they asked her if she wanted to develop into the British market. Now working in league with ex-Marni designer Rosa Aivto, Karen says the possibilities are endless. "It's an exclusive service but it's 100 per cent inclusive," she goes on. "If your feet are smaller than a four or larger than a seven you need never feel like a freak again." But don’t get the wrong idea. "One woman came in with five pairs of Manolo Blahnik shoes and asked us to copy them all," says Karen. "That's not the idea at all. We couldn't help her." Prices start at £150. Visit
www.selve.co.uk for more details. (April 5 2004, AM)
