p.14-15 Erotic footwear 3 9:FOOTWEAR NEW TEMPLAT 10 08 04/09/2009 09:09 Page 14
Erotic Footwear
Kinky Boots
and without platforms, the footwear range includes knee-high and thigh
high boots; stiletto heels are their speciality. They even have many a
range of sandals with flashing lights in the heels, which are activated when
the heel touches the ground - and the lights and batteries are
guaranteed for the life of the shoes. Sizes start from 3/36 through to
FOOTWEAR TODAY TALKS TO BRIAN IRWIN OF
10/43’s but some of the best selling lines start from a 2/35 and go though
to size 12/45’s!
NITELIFE FOOTWEAR
BACKGROUND
T
his may all sound a bit saucy, but the world no longer suffers from Brian Irwin is the man behind this successful company. He probably
the lament of transvestite, Lola, in the 2005 film Kinky Boots, that knows more about sexy footwear than anyone else in Britain - and he has
there was insufficient fetish footwear on the market. These days, over 30 years experience in footwear manufacturing, retailing and
British companies, such as Nitelife Footwear can supply a plethora wholesaling. His father was a shoe manufacturer making ladies fashion
of Oh La! La! fetish footwear to satisfy all tastes. boots and shoes. During the school holidays Brian would help his father
Some of the more erotic fetish footwear heels and platform soles in the factory. After leaving school he took a degree in Business Studies
deliver an altitude that could cause vertigo. You’d have to be a then joined his father’s business.
bit po-faced not to find some of the fetish footwear fun. However, With the demise of shoe manufacturing in England, Brian Irwin de-
supplying footwear to lap-dancers, strippers, clubbers and the rest, is a cided to go into retailing and had four shops selling fashion shoes. He
lucrative business. then saw the opportunities of retailing on the Internet and started an
Nitelife Footwear is based at Byford Road, Leicester, in the heart of Internet sales business. He set out selling fashion boots and shoes and
the traditional English shoe-making industry. Uniquely, for a footwear then branched out into erotic footwear; sales rapidly increased and he
company, the two storey premises, with warehouse and cash and carry, started wholesaling to a few small companies in the UK.
plus offices and showroom, include a pole dancing tuition studio on Brian then supported Nitelife a High Quality Dancewear Company
the first floor! from Aberdeen at Erotica Shows in the UK. Nitelife owners Linda Fagin
The company specialises in “high quality erotic footwear at highly and her partner Jason agreed to his company using the Nitelife name for
competitive prices”. They have an ‘in stock’ service and because the a new range of footwear sourced from a high quality factory in China.
stock is already in Europe delivery times are excellent. There is also a new The first shipment of footwear arrived in September 2005 with a range
range of high quality sexy Nitelife Dancewear, supplying costumes for of kinky boots and platform sandals. Brian received a fantastic reaction
professional dancers and clubbers. to his collection at the Moda Footwear Show in February 2006 and
The Nitelife Footwear Collection has grown to over 60 styles of shoes immediately signed up 30 new accounts. Taking his collection to the
and sandals, plus 20 styles of boots. This does not take into account the Venus Paris Show in 2006, he signed up new further customers in Eu-
many colour options and sizes available, nor does it include the rope. Brian now concentrates on wholesale and erotic shows.
exclusive range of Sella branded Goth footwear. Including styles, with Sales of erotic footwear have soared since the start of the business four
14
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FOOTWEAR TODAY
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SEPTEMBER 2009
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