Ever have a specific shoe design in mind but can’t seem to find it anywhere? Say hello to Upper Street! Created by Julia Grinham and Katy Chandler, the website is a gold mine of exotic materials, unique shapes, and countless possibilities. Even if you’re not planning on buying a pair, the Shoe Designer is so much fun to play with that you’ll spend many hours coming up with different combinations. I discovered this site about a year ago, and since then have been building my own little online collection.
With Upper Street, you even have a chance to win your own custom pair! Follow them on Twitter @UpperStreetShoe, and every Tuesday you can enter a photo of your shoes. And if you think your chances are slim, think again! Last week I entered with my candy-red pumps and won! This is an absolute dream-come-true for any shoe lover, and I’m excited to share my experience with you.
Upper Street is fun and easy to use. There are design ideas, swatch galleries, and a lot of other information about their shoes. If you live nearby, you can even book an appointment to try on shoes and get help with the design process! But if not, you can always just use their online Shoe Designer, which guides you through the process of creating your ideal shoe.
You start by picking a “base style” for your shoe. There are several toe shapes, heel heights, and platform heights available. This is further customizable because you can choose a front style, back style, and add straps and embellishments.
When you’re done customizing the structure of your shoe, you get to choose the materials. This is my favorite part! Upper Street offers a large selection of colors in a variety of materials, including leather, suede, patent, snakeskin, and satin. And the color choices are endless!
As you’re designing, there’s a nifty little tool to see how much your shoe costs. Prices for Upper Street shoes vary depending on the style and materials you use. Most of the designs I created are out of my price range (boo for student loan debt). But if you can afford it, I think it’s worth it to pay a little more for unique shoes than to get what everyone else already has.
After you’re done, you can save your shoes in a collection, which you can later share to get opinions from your friends. Designing many combinations is easy, the toughest part is choosing which pair to purchase! I designed about 30 before I finally narrowed it down to the following six designs. Which pair is your favorite? Leave your comment below!
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Yeah upper street is the best =)
I’ll go for Daffodil and Shock therapy. =)http://anotsosecretlife2011.blogspot.com/
Based on the other shoes you’ve posted, I think you should go for the shock therapy. It’s not often I see a yellow leather shoe, so it’s that little more special! I think that the 18 karat and capuccino don’t have enough straps to feel secure – but that’s just me, I’m always rushing around! But none of your six would be a bad choice!
Yes I agree, yellow isn’t very common. Shock therapy would definitely be a conversation starter! It’s true that 18 karat and cappuccino don’t have a lot of straps, but I have a feeling that they’d be secure. I’ve tried on similar styles before and they actually aren’t bad as long as they fit properly!
Yes, and the Upper Street shoes are a lovely fit! I found I had to go up a size but I have big honking feet, so that’s par for the course. Plus if you know you have a problem with shoes, they can make them taking that into account, or they’ll get them fixed for you (or a cobbler can do it for you locally, since you’re overseas).
I have ballet flats from Upper Street, and the 1st ones were a size too small, but when I went to try on the next size up, they flipped off the back – a problem I often have. Lizzie at US just told the manufacturers that they slipped off the back but the length/width was right, and lo and behold, they came and they fit.
I really really really want to get a pair of fun heels, which is why I keep entering (4th time shortlisted loser today, arrgggg!), so I’m living vicariously through your choice! The chocolate cake are really nice and the most practical but booooo, who wants to be practical?!
Thanks for that info! I have small/narrow feet for my height, I used to hate it but now I feel lucky because they make me feel dainty. The only problem I sometimes have is that my feet slide forward through straps if the shoe is too wide. I will probably email them for sizing suggestions before I submit my design to try and avoid any issues!
I have the same problem with flats! They’re always flipping off the back of my foot. And I hate the ones with elastics because they just aren’t comfortable. If the shoes aren’t expensive, I usually just stick a heel grip in there and it helps a bit.
Keep entering! I was shortlisted a lot too! Now you have an excuse to look for fun shoes while shopping 😉 I feel like the shoes I end up picking have to be both practical and fun. I want to look forward to wearing them! Right now I’m leaning towards shock therapy or cream & sugar because my closet is seriously lacking in strappy heels. I have a lot of pumps already, which is probably why only one of my final designs ended up being a pump. I hope to make a decision by the end of this week!
I think shock therapy :-). Love all the one’s you designed xx
Thank you! That one is definitely towards the top of the choices. It’s so shocking! 🙂