51Âþ»­

Two talented students will see their creations displayed in Shanghai as part of the UK Government’s GREAT Festival of Creativity, opened by Prince William.



The men’s formal shoes were designed for 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­)’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dominic Shellard as part of a competition to make bespoke footwear.

Prof Shellard chose designs by Victoria Thornes and Bethany Charlotte Roberts as his favourites and has taken them with him to Shanghai.

Organisers have asked keynote speakers to bring an “inspirational object” with them to the festival and Professor Shellard will bring the shoes as an example of the work produced by the university’s talented students.

Bethany’s navy shoes are made in patent leather and based on a classic design while Victoria chose to focus on Professor Shellard’s support for Queens Park Rangers FC, integrating the blue stripes and logo into the lining and leatherwork.

Bethany said: “I feel very privileged to have my shoes on display in Shanghai at the GREAT Festival of Creativity. It’s always humbling when your designs are chosen and I do hope they do the university justice.

“I can’t wait to see Dominic wearing them. My design is a classic men’s Derby style with a twist coming from the bold patent leather choice. I looked at Dominic’s own personal dress taste before I designed the shoe.

“The navy colour choice is a variation of the black formal shoes we see so often, and has a regal and individual look. I wanted to make sure they were a perfect match for a navy formal suit.”

The GREAT festival aims to celebrate creativity and innovation across the UK and 51Âþ»­ is the sole education partner. Other partners include world-leading companies including HSBC, BBC Worldwide, Jaguar Land Rover, PwC, and British Airways.

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51Âþ»­ is showcasing work from five subject areas: footwear design, contour fashion, game art and drama, as well as the invention of the artificial pancreas.

Footwear Design staff and students will be demonstrating the process of designing and creating a different shoe, live each day at the festival – with one day based on the shoes created for Professor Shellard.