The shoes that fold up

5:34pm Wednesday 3rd October 2007

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A SHOE company has come up with the perfect solution to killer heels - pumps that fold up to fit in a small bag.

Bacup Shoe is aiming the new footwear at party goers who end up walking home barefooted at the end of a night wearing high heels.

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The Redfoot range has a split sole which allows them to be folded away and stored in a small bag so that women can use them as required, such as when killer heels become too much.

Bacup Shoe, based in Railway Street, Stacksteads, has a world-wide patent on the design.

After two years from the concept to the final product, the shoes have gone on sale at £25 per pair.

And they seem to be catching on. Singer Suzanne Shaw and Corrie's Kym Rider are among the celebs who have already been snapped wearing them.

Stef Heydecke, a designer at Bacup shoe, said: "The shoe has two completely seperate parts which allows the shoe to perfectly bend in half. No-one has made anything like them before.

"I wear them all day and all night. They're so comfortable because we're concentrating on promoting healthy feet.

"These shoes don't have heels. They're like outdoor ballet shoes or sandals so they're comfy whether you've been dancing the night away or shopping until you drop.

"High heels are not designed to bend effectively and the result is always cracked soles and misshaped shoes, but the best thing with these is that you can pack them away into your handbag and get them out whenever you need them."

Steven Smith, managing director at Redfoot, came up with the idea.

He said: "The national recognition we have received since the launch has exceeded our expectation and has had a realy positive effect on sales revenue.

"It has also been an inspiration to our designers to continue their innovative approach to footwear."

The shoes are available in 12 different colours ranging from electric blue to gold.

Bacup Shoe was named in the top 50 fastest growing medium-sized companies in the UK by Business XL Magazine in March 2006.