Comfort Club Summer 2011

Summer 2011

club Get set for summer On the move

Hot’ off the press the hotter story so far

Enter our

exclusive reader competitions inside

Welcome

HOT’OFF THE PRESS Everyone’s talking about Hotter... friends, family, colleagues and some fabulous magazines are joining in too!

What a busy time we’ve been having here at Hotter HQ ... with our Royal Shoes attracting interest everywhere from The Loose Women to Something for the Weekend!

With those long Summer weeks ahead of us our thoughts have turned to holidays, so in this edition we’re bringing you ideas for things to wear and pack and even drink to put you in the holiday spirit.

I’ll be packing a pair of lovely Livia in my suitcase and I’d love to hear what Hotter shoes you’ll be taking on your travels – better still send us a photo of you in your Hotters, or with your Comfort Club and I’ll pick my favourite to win a prize and if you have a spare five minutes don’t forget to enter our fabulous competitions.

Have a great Summer, keep in touch!

Kind regards,

Melanie Killilea Editor, Comfort Club

Find us on facebook

The word is spreading about the secret comfort features we hide in every pair of shoes and the luxurious leathers we use to manufacture our handbags, but it's the sleek good looks of our shoes and the sophisticated style of our accessories that are attracting press attention.

This Spring, Take a Break has featured our limited edition Timor Royal Shoe in a Royal Wedding feature with all things red, white and blue. Woman’s Weekly showcased peep toe style Timor in ‘These Shoes Are Made For Walking’ and You Magazine used handbag Milan in an accessories special.

We can’t wait to see where we’ll see our shoes and handbags next!

If you’ve spotted our shoes or handbags anywhere else, we’d love to hear from you.

Royal Shoe makes its TV debut!

The Royal Shoe had its first TV appearance in April. The news team from BBC North West Tonight visited our factory to see how we make shoes in the UK.

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ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Holiday in comfort and style When luggage space is at a premium, versatile style is an essential and comfort can’t be compromised, you need to pack smart and pack Hotter for your holidays.

We’ve asked our designers to help you plan your holiday essentials so you can step out in comfort and style wherever your travels take you this Summer.

We asked: “Which Hotter sandal would you pack for a beach holiday?”

Carolyn says: “I’d choose Livia in either colour as they are so on trend with their gladiator styling.

They’re supremely comfortable underfoot thanks to the lightweight, flexible soles and easy to get on and off when you’re on the beach because of their touch close fastening.”

Palermo

Ca roly n

We asked: “If you could take one handbag on your holiday which style would it be and why?”

Karen says: “Mmm, one handbag – wow, that’s tough! It’s got to be Palermo because it’s on trend thanks to colours like Caramel and Khaki, it’s roomy and because it can be worn across the body or shoulder it’s really versatile.”

K are n

We asked: “You’re planning a sightseeing holiday – what do you pack?”

Kim says: “I’d definitely go for Leanne, it’s the perfect all rounder for a sight seeing holiday or city break. It’s really lightweight, mega comfy and the mesh upper will keep your feet cool when the temperatures rise.”

Kim

Lea nne

Livia ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

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Travel with us to ...

Hottershire In our Spring Comfort Club we asked for your inspiring ideas to help us create an imaginary land of Hotter comfort where people float along on millions of tiny air bubbles, skipping lightly on their feet all day, wiggling their toes in ultra soft leather.

Hottershire Country

by Margaret Malindine of Slough Hottershire is the place to be where dancing pixies are so full of glee!

At the stroke of twelve when the moon is bright, they rush to the shoes with great delight, Whistling a tune as they stitch and sew! !

It’s Hotter time, take your pick Various colours to suit your style and for wider feet a great big smile!

‘Livia’ is the one for me, a lovely style and so trendy!

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Our creative challenge to you attracted some really amazing suggestions, but our favourite has to be from Mary Rod of Leighton Buzzard whose vision is that “Hottershire’s pavements are marshmallow soft, the lawns and meadows are like velvet cloth, the azure sky holds a golden sun and the balmy breeze refreshes everyone.”

Your poetic skills varied from descriptions of elves that make shoes, to odes crammed with Hotter shoe names and even included one inspired by Robert Browning himself. Thank you to everyone who sent in their ideas, all the contributors on this page win a prize and we’d be delighted if you could share more of your Hottershire ideas with us we’ll select a winner for another comfy prize.

Hottershire

m

by Norma Allen, Llandina

Ode to Hottershire

by Barbara Graebe of Fressingfield Oh, to be in Hottershire Now that summer’s there, For whoever wakes in Hottershire Some morning, unaware, Will hear the laugh of dancing girls As they spoil upon the beach, Not a blister, not a callous To afflict their twinkling feet – Though the shore is rough and stony Where land and waters meet.

The pavements of the little town Soon swelter in the heat.

Yet even the oldest tourists Are comfy on their feet.

It was here that Britten stood Upon this shingled shore To hear the music of the waves And include it in his score.

At night you rest contentedly In Joyce Grenfell’s spacious suite.

If you leave your Hotter’s by the door They may be polished while you sleep!

me tters and come with Please pop on your Ho y, on rm d ha to a land of honey an Pandora’s box, a magical paradise, a on the rocks. ss bli e, ris sun a calypso y, leap in the dew, wa Quickstep on the run – papaya too.

Feast on fresh mango surf in the sea, y, Breakfast with Tiffan dizzy with glee, go , ine rsh Sta Wish in the e, en of comfort and eas It’s a Hottershire heav me please. ! th wi e com d an rs So, pop on your Hotte

ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Colourful comfort

in EEE fit

Our magnificent seven styles in EEE fit offer a colourful array of choice for your Summer wardrobe.

From Shake in Mimosa Yellow and Paradise in Sangria to Leap in pretty Mauve/Misty Grey we’ve a shade for every occasion. Muted metallics give a classic edge to Florence and Easy whilst neutral Navy, Black and Beige across Dew and Leap give all round, all season style options.

When it comes to great fitting shoes you know we take exceptional care and attention to give your toes room to

wiggle and your heels a big, soft hug. We’re delighted to extend your wiggles and our cuddles to a whole new fitting of Hotter footwear.

Our EEE styles were introduced last season and have proved so popular we’ve added new shoes and colours for the Summer.

Keep an eye on our catalogue, website and Facebook page for the latest product updates.

Leap

Shake

Get active in comfort Hotter men’s designer Andy Taylor has pulled out all the stops this season to revamp our collection with fun new styles for the holiday season.

Sand

“My personal favourite is Active which combines sports influenced styling with super comfort, “ he told Comfort Club. “Active is an all day, lightweight casual which will look fab with shorts or jeans. Another travel essential for me is Sand, which is easy to pack, has opened up styling for cooler Summer comfort and is versatile enough to wear with high Summer clothes.“

With casual and classic comfort, sporty and holiday shoes and sandals, Hotter’s men’s range offers a style for every action packed activity you’re planning this Summer.

Active

ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

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the

story....

With more staff than ever before and new investment helping us to make at least 1.6 million pairs of shoes in our UK factory this year, we thought it would be a great time to reflect on the Hotter story .... so far.

You know there is always something new and different to see, touch and feel at Hotter, but did you know that since 1999 you’ve been able to buy Hotter shoes at some of the country’s leading garden centres thanks to a chance encounter by Stewart Houlgrave? Or that when Stewart decided to launch our first catalogue it featured only one shoe - Dew - but it was available in ten colours. When our new warehouse was officially opened by the Hotter-wearing local Mayor, she drove

a fork lift truck through a wall of shoe boxes and we once persuaded the Calendar Girls to pose wearing nothing apart from Hotter shoes!

Here’s a few highlights of the Hotter story so far – keep an eye on our website for more photos and stories – and if you’ve got a Hotter story to tell, let us know and we’ll add yours too!

Millions of air bubbles cushion your feet

1959 As experienced shoemakers Thomas and Harriet Houlgrave decide to invest in their own slipper making company – Beaconsfield Footwear is launched.

The ultimate, lightweight comfort feel

1993 Stewart discovers the lightness, comfort and support of shock absorbing polyurethane soles, onto which he designs shoes with lots of secret comfort features – the Hotter ‘Comfort Concept’ is born.

Soft padding to hug your feet

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1999

1996 Customers tell us they want more colours and more designs so we launch our first ever Hotter Comfort Concept catalogue – our iconic Dew is a great success in ten different colours!

The phones start ringing and a small team of staff – including Stewart – answer calls from our first customers.

In our 40th year Stewart celebrates with long servers who have worked at Hotter for over 20 years. We start selling shoes in garden centres after Stewart visits one near his home and sees the busy Sunday afternoon crowds.

2002 We open our first Hotter store in Southport and treat the town’s hard working coach greeters to some well earned comfy shoes.

so far 2009 2006 2003 A busy year for Hotter - we invest £6 million to create the biggest new shoe making factory opened in the UK since the 1970s and we persuade the original Calendar Girls to pose for a photo wearing nothing apart from Hotter shoes.

Staff get together in a Dragon Boat race and we organise a family fun day, complete with Wizard of Oz factory tours!

We celebrate our 50th birthday year with special shoe shaped cakes (pictured here with Range and Merchandising Director Paul Sayers), a revamp for www.hotter.com and our first TV advert.

2011 Watch this space...

2010 2007 2004 We host our first factory tour and our new warehouse is opened by a Hotter-wearing Mayor driving a fork lift truck through a wall of Hotter shoe boxes!

We launch the first Forget Me Not Walk in Chester where, with the help of the Calendar Girls, Roman soldiers and lots of customers , we raise £25,000 for Leukaemia Research. Later that year we invest £500,000 to create a world class shoe manufacturing plant.

We begin the year with five Hotter stores ... we end the year with 11 after opening Bath, Bromley, Canterbury, Chichester, Eastbourne and Norwich.

We take Hotter shoes to the USA!

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GoinG the extra mile!

Kim a nd K are n at the

start of the ir wal k

This year, staff at Hotter Shoes are springing into action in a bid to raise money for Cancer Research UK! Women’s shoe designer Kim, and handbag buyer Karen took part in the Shine Walk in Manchester. The pair completed the half marathon

night walk in 3 hours and 55 minutes. Another walker Jenni Summers, Public Relations Assistant is taking part in Race for Life in June for the second time and hopes to raise £200 for the charity.

Dressed up in all things pink, she’ll be walking alongside thousands of other women who have survived cancer or who are supporting a friend or family member.

Sophie Gane, who looks after hotter.com, took part in the Greater Manchester 10K. Well done and good luck to them all.

Sophi e ran 10K If you’ve got any tales and photos of activities you’ve undertaken to raise money for charity we’d love to hear from you.

Let them eat cake Meet Anne Garlick, the lady who loves to bake! Anne, who has worked in Hotter’s quality team for 3½ years, has been baking decorative cakes for over a year after attending a night school bakery course with her daughter. Since then Anne’s creations have literally provided the icing on the cake for celebrations including holy communions, weddings, birthdays as well as very tasty thank you presents.

Anne with a shoe-per cake made for a hen night.

We quizzed Anne to find out the secret behind baking the perfect masterpiece:

1)

Make sure you sieve flour as the air will help the cake to rise

2) When making butter cream ensure the butter is at room temperature 3) Let the cake fully cool before decorating 4) Coat the cake with butter cream before icing instead of jam as it will taste sweeter 5) Make sure the oven has reached the required temperature before baking

COMPETITION If Anne has inspired you to bake a cake we’d love to see a photo of your culinary efforts! Simply send your photo to the usual address or to weloveshoes@hotter.com and we’ll pick our favourite to win a pair of shoes!

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ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

Barney the dog was a thank you cake – yum!

ROMAN WINE AND SANDALS With warm Summer days and long holiday evenings just around the corner what two cooling, comforts spring to mind?

Lovely comfy sandals and a fresh, crisp glass of wine! We challenged wine writer Graham Gendall Norton to weave a story around a recommended tipple and our fabulous Hotter gladiator sandal Livia, read on to find out more....

Combining smart, on trend gladiator styling with Hotter’s trademark support and underfoot comfort Livia is the perfect summer style.

“Italy produces a range of moderately priced, light, refreshing whites, with Pinot Grigio, from the cooler north of that country a popular favourite but, with gladiators in mind, let’s think of Rome. Livia was the most powerful woman in their empire’s history, divorcing her first husband to marry Julius Caesar’s adopted heir, who himself became the first Emperor Augustus.

“Livia must have often been to see gladiators fight. You’d surely think these fighters to the death would need a glass or two of what we call ‘Dutch courage’, and we would need to have been brave to drink the wine the Romans liked. It was very alcoholic, thickly full-bodied, very sweet, flavoured with herbs, spices, even resin. A bit like cold mulled wine, it was often diluted with water.

“Livia would have drunk white,

which was for the ruling aristocracy.

Red was for the workers and the slaves. Rather the reverse of Italian wines now, as generally the reds are more prized. But Rome today is still very much a white wine city, the vineyards on the hills around it growing mostly the green grapes which thrive on the local soil. One of the most popular wines there comes from 12 miles to the south-east of Rome. It takes its name, Frascati, from the town of that name and its surrounding vineyards.

“There can be no doubt that Frascati has been supplying wine to Rome for over 2,000 years, though the style has changed completely since those far off days. “Today, it is made from a combination of several grapes, none of them the big international varieties, and can be sweet or dry. My choice, Le Marmorelle, Frascati Superiore, Dry,

2009 (Waitrose, £5.55) blends four varieties to make a crisp, dry and refreshing wine at a reasonable price. A gorgeous light gold in the glass, there are lemon scents on the nose, followed on the palate with more citrus and cool green melon flavours. There’s a delightful faint hint of hazelnuts and subtle mineral notes. Just the right aperitif on a hot day, delicious with smoked salmon, with other fish, some chicken dishes or with salads.”

COMPETITION Win a case of Le Marmorelle plus a pair of our fabulous Livia sandals. Simply send your answer to the following question to the usual address: Q. Give the title of a famous film shot in Rome starring Audrey Hepburn.

ALL SHOES FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.HOTTER.COM

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Hotter on the move In the past 18 months there have been more happy Hotter feet across the UK than ever before.

“Last year we were the UK’s biggest shoemaker manufacturing 1.3 million pairs in our Lancashire factory,” explained Stewart Houlgrave, “ and this year we’re on track to make 1.6 million!

We started our first night shift in our factory in May and this month we’ll complete work to increase our call centre by 50%.

“In the late 1990s there were around 60 people working at Hotter but this summer we’ll employ our 700th member of staff.

Nearly 200 of our employees work in our Hotter stores which is amazing when you consider that at the start of last year we had five stores, we now have 13 and by the end of 2011 we’ll have 25! now...

Did you k ant s e you w if the sho le in store ilab aren’t ava ve them a we can h ct to e mailed dir r! your doo

“I firmly believe that the secret of our success relies on two vital factors, fabulous products and amazing customer service. We’re got a dedicated team working on designing and manufacturing world class products that offer the ultimate comfort fit and feel and I’m delighted that the years of experience we’ve gained making our customers happy when they call us has translated so well onto the high street.

“Whether you step over the threshold of our newest store in Salisbury or through the door of our revamped store in Southport you’ll be welcomed by a friendly face who’ll help you find the perfect smart, comfy shoe just for you!”

Foot notes Our new Retail Director John Nicholas has the exciting task of doubling the number of Hotter stores on the high streets of Great Britain – and that’s just by the end of 2011!

Joh n Nicholas 10

We persuaded him to spend a few minutes away from his hectic schedule to reveal a little more about what makes him tick!

I was born in...

Solihull but I have lived in Burnley all my life.

My favourite comfort food is... pie and peas because it reminds me of football matches with my dad.

My all time favourite song is... Games without frontiers by Peter Gabriel - a real anthem of my youth!

If I have time to myself I like to go... cycling, I’m not quite at ‘Tour de Stores’ level but I’m working on it when I can.

The invention that makes my life most comfortable is... my iPhone as it provides me with a way to communicate, take photos and listen to music all in one – I love it!

Wish you were here!

Whether you’re taking a relaxing weekend break or a family holiday in the UK this Summer, keep a look out for our seaside Hotter stores along the way. Wear your lovely new Hotter shoes and step out in comfort to enjoy some of the sights and sounds beside the sea.

Bournemouth With over seven miles of golden sands and beautiful sparkling sea there’s always something new to see, hear and taste in this south coast town.

bournemouth

Eastbourne

COMPETITION If you’ve ever visited a Hotter store you’ll know that each one has a delicious supply of jelly babies at the checkout – but can you guess how many are consumed by Hotter customers in a year! Send your answers to the usual address the closest to the answer will win a beautiful handbag.

eaStbourn

Southport Take a walk along the UK’s oldest iron pier in between lunch by the seaside and a walk through the beautiful parks and gardens

My favourite holiday destination is... the USA as it offers such a variety of things to see and do.

My most memorable moment at Hotter is... opening my first store in Worthing.

The best Hotter shoe we’ve ever made is...

Bliss because it looks great and fits unbelievably well-at least that’s what our customers have told me!

Yo u r n e w So u th p or t St or e

opening in j une Southport

Worthing Built in 1926, take a trip to the

My favourite thing to do at Hotter is... meet and talk to our customers, it’s great for me to be able to meet so many people in store who can give us feedback.

You wouldn’t know it but I’m good at... gardening, I love the Summer when everything is in full bloom.

e

A great location for a walk through the South Downs National Park or why not slip into some new sandals to enjoy the award winning beaches and stunning countryside.

worth ing

PavilionTheatre situated on the promenade where you can enjoy art and craft events, fairs and dinner dances.

What’s your favourite thing to do beside the seaside – send us a photo of you in your Hotters beside the sea!

Did u kn know ow...

Did yo ... you ev tterr sto every ery Ho store re isis Hotte lai laidd ou an ide outt in identi ntica in an call waywa wiythwicathsuca al,mal, al,sufor forme mans l,,me nse, ac activ antiv de ansso d ac acce riece sss seori cties ons. sections.

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Readers’ letters pain, After years of stress and e again, My feet have learnt to liv se Pink shade, I dared to choose the Ro they’re made My newest pair; for me ht for Spring, True comfort, stylish, rig me sing!

Thank you Hotter, hear Sheila Games, Wembley

Hococo helps Madagascar designed Our Hococo lemur knitting pattern, £3,149 for over raise ed help has ,

by Alan Dart h has paid the street kids of Madagascar whic We'd s, for five life-saving operation like to thank all the Hotter knitters who have made Hococo for this fantastic charity.

If you would like to help email weloveshoes@hotter.com and we'll send you a free Hococo pattern.

Hotter fan Ken Jackson from Wakefield prepares his motorbike for a ride - we think he'll be slipping into some less comfy footwear when he fires up the engine!

Thank you Hotter

I have just received 3 pairs of your shoes and am so ple ased I finally decided to try your com pany. The shoes are so comfortable, fit well and loo k good. Even better they are made in the UK too! I am so please d to have found shoes tha t fit me, this won't be my last purcha se.

Anne O’Riordan, Buckingha mshire

r e Power' Taylo rt player, Phil 'Th da ip he sh if e on se pi Cham store to r Bournemouth s popped into ou mfy pair of shoe co a ith w e ey lls bu e th t hi could range. from our men's Customer Service: 0800 525 893 Personal Shoppers: 0800 083 3083

E: weloveshoes@hotter.com W: www.hotter.com Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes @hottershoes

Send in your stories, photos and competition entries to Melanie Killilea, Editor, Comfort Club, Hotter Shoes, 2 Peel Road, Skelmersdale, WN8 9PT or email weloveshoes@hotter.com.

Unless otherwise stated competitions in this edition will close on 30th June 2011 – winners details will be printed in our online Comfort Club at www.hotter.com or contact the Editor for a full list.