If there is one iconic, high street footwear brand that has a knack for tapping into a cultural moment it’s Shellys London; throughout the decades they have produced shoes that captured the spirit of the time. This season they prove they’ve still got more to give with a nineties inspired collection of high street treasures.
Shellys have been putting their best foot forward since the 1940s when the, then small, family run business, started producing expertly designed and innovative footwear that appealed to the ever-hungry youth culture palette. This talent for innovation and a dedication to craftsmanship is what has kept Shellys London at the heart of British fashion.
The Shellys archive is like a museum of iconic shoes of the decades; they were the first brand to introduce platforms and Chelsea boots to the streets of swinging 60’s London. From their humble beginnings, the high street brand went from strength to strength as the exclusive supplier to band The Jam in the 70s and collaborations with iconic designers of the eighties such as Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
The new collection looks set to be a hit for another generation with nineties inspired platforms, flatforms and DM style boots. Their full collection can be viewed on their Pinterest page and you can buy online/instore at ASOS, Sarenza and Bank, but don’t bypass their website altogether as their collection of images and style blogs are well worth perusing.
The key to Shellys is that they know their market and their brand; they don’t expect lifelong customers, they expect you to buy shoes that you will wear to death and then keep as a reminder of your younger, carefree days. Shellys London brings together youth, culture, fashion and style to tap into a moment for a generation.
By Samantha Vandersteen