Shoes.co.uk just took delivery of the first styles from the new ben Sherman Collection. I’m pretty familiar with Ben Sherman Shoes having been involved with the original company PIL and Sherman Cooper Marketing back in the mid 90’s when the brand was first launched as a footwear label.
Back then I had just left Barratts to set up Network CFD and I had a call from Michael Pearce who had just acquired the Ben Sherman Shoes licence and taken it to a small company called PIL who at the time were distributing the Acupuncture range of shoes. I worked with Michael developing a range of Men’s shoes, firstly in my factory in Portuagal (The one I represented as an agent) and later Calz Olip in Cola in Northern Italy.
The ranges were a huge success especially the collection of Desert boots which I had made in a small stitchdown factory called Ilarj, (I think they still owe me money!) and a big range of Loafers which were made in Olip.
Fast forward a few years, our Italian prices were too high for them and the started making sub standard ranges in Eastern Europe, the SCM company got a new MD; Michael and them parted company and the ranges nosedived. (Why do people mess with a good formula!?)
The brand was licenced to Browning Enterprises, which was owned by Daniel Rubin (Who also ran Dune), and they tried to ressurrect the glory days, but when Daniel decided to step out of the supply game in 2008, the brand was once again up for grabs. This time it was taken by Lloyd shoes’ Director and erstwhile Base London partner, Mark Verona, under his Hudson Shoes umbrella. Mark has now developed a new collection of shoes and boots that in some way recapture the good old days when the brand used to sell!
The new collection includes a cracking range of Dsert Boots, new chunky brogues and modern stylish loafers. Shoes.co.uk has once again decided to stock the shoes on the strength of the new collection, (we wouldn’t buy it if the designs were not right), so after nearly 15 years my affiliation with Ben Sherman Shoes is once again ignited and the circle is kind of complete. I kind of miss those good old days of travelling to Italy to develop the ranges with Michael, he was one of a kind and the world needs eccentric individuals with vision like him! In our heyday we were making 300,000 pairs a year, imagine the potential if they could get the brand cooking again!
