“The care and workmanship that goes into Bill Bird shoes is second to none.”

We are very grateful to our longstanding client Richard Weller from Newbury for sharing his experiences with us.

“I initially went to Bill Bird for shoes as I had been told to get shoes that fitted the feet rather than getting feet to fit the shoes. I have incredibly broad feet – beyond a G – and this had posed problems when buying shoes in the past.

Shortly after I retired ten years ago I developed a condition called complex regional pain syndrome. It happened quite suddenly and until then I had been physically active. I would walk regularly in the Lake District and cycle 40 or 50 miles at the weekend. Although I live an independent life and can drive a car, I can no longer walk very far or cycle. I can’t take my grandchildren for a walk in the woods, for example.

I feel most of my pain through my feet and it is so severe that I cannot wear socks for more than an hour or have the bedclothes resting on my feet. The pain is similar to shingles and the more I do, the more it hurts.

Bill, Russell and I spent the best part of a year trying to craft shoes that were comfortable but it became clear that the fault was my feet, which were getting worse, not the shoes. Instead they made me a pair of slippers that I have worn all day, every day for the past 10 years.

They have done an incredible job. It sounds amazing that I paid £600 for slippers but it’s the best money I have ever spent. Bill and Russell have helped to make my life worth living.

I have much to be grateful to Bill Bird Shoes for; firstly for making the slippers that have lasted this long and secondly for repairing them for me from time to time. Without my slippers I don’t know what I would do – I dread the day they wear out. I have thought they have been at the end of their life a couple of times but they are still going ten years on and I have every confidence they will do so for a few more years yet. Bill and Russell have come up with repair solutions I would have thought were impossible.

The care and workmanship that goes into their shoes is second to none. Most shoes are pumped out but these are crafted with a huge amount of care. Everyone there is so sympathetic and kind and they are so talented at what they do. They really listen, and that’s rare.

The footwear at Bill Bird Shoes seems expensive but they use the best equipment and the best materials. All of the money goes back into the business – there is no money wasted on frivolities or luxury. The workshop is simple and incredibly effective. I can’t thank them enough.”