They’ve become a staple in the Queen’s wardrobe: the bunion heels she wears on royal walks.
Now MailOnline has gone behind the scenes at the Sole Bliss factory in the Spanish province of Alicante to find out how Camilla’s £159 Ingrid pumps are made.
And we found that four factories and a team of 50 skilled artisans are involved in their production, from the intricate design to the shock-resistant heel tips.
“Sole Bliss shoes are made differently than all other shoes,” explains designer Lisa Kay. “Our skilled artisans pay attention to every detail to create the most comfortable shoes.”
“The shoe business is incredibly technical and it is very difficult to produce a quality pair of shoes because there are so many steps to go through. In our factory alone, each pair of shoes goes through 50 pairs of hands.”
It’s been six years now since Camilla, 76, started wearing Sole Bliss, which makes “comfortable, stylish shoes for bunions and wide feet.”
She made her debut for the brand at the 2018 Royal Cornwall Show wearing the £159 Ingrid Camel leather block heels.
Since then, she has invested in more than a dozen pairs of the company’s shoes and sneakers and has worn them at almost every royal engagement – including the week after the queen’s death, when she suffered a broken toe.
All shoes feature state-of-the-art technology to contour the bunion and a sophisticated device to prevent pronation – the inward rolling of the feet.
Lisa, 59, launched Sole Bliss in 2017 and designed the Ingrid, a 5cm block heel, the following year. Camilla was one of her first customers and owns more than 13 pairs.
It comes in three different heels: a leather heel, a layered wooden heel and a glitter heel. Camilla has both the leather heel and the layered heel.
Lisa travels to Spain four times a year before each season to visit the tanneries, source the leather and suede for the soles and uppers, and select the heels.
“Our factory will source all the raw materials for the shoes from other factories and then manufacture them,” she says.
“There are leather tanneries, last makers, heel factories and shoe factories.”
“We have been working with the same people for about 25 years and therefore have enough contacts that we don’t have to run around at trade fairs.”
“The Ingrid has been in the collection for five years, so it’s more about reinventing the classics, keeping the collection interesting and offering something new for our customers.”
“We always think two seasons ahead.” We are currently finalizing the fall/winter collection and thinking about next summer. “So we’re working on three collections at the same time.”
After designing the Ingrid, Lisa commissioned an artisan to hand-carve a wooden last in size 38 – her own size. Once perfected, it was recreated in resin in 13 sizes, from size 36 to 42, including half sizes.
All lasts, whether for round or pointed toes, feature a deep and wide toe box at the front of the shoe to accommodate wider feet and bunions.
“Our lasts are unique,” she says. “Most people with bunions or wide feet size up to accommodate them, but that means the back of the foot can slip.” We built them to have more space at the front, but neatly proportioned at the back are.
Once she’s chosen the leather and heels and made the last, it’s up to the factory to make the shoes. The first step is to stretch the leather over the last to create the upper.
It remains on the last for 24 hours to take its shape, which essentially corresponds to the shape of the foot. “The longer the shoes stay on, the better,” adds Lisa.
Then the upper is removed from the last, the lining is sewn onto the upper, and the bunion bed – a strategically placed stretch panel inside the shoe – is attached to the lining without seams to rub the bunion.
When the shoe uppers are finished, it’s time to attach the soles. First, a palm is applied to ensure that the shoe and sole fit together comfortably without creating gaps between the sole and the footbed.
Two soles – an insole and an outsole – attach to the palm, heels attach to the shoe, and impact-resistant heel tips provide the finishing touches.
After the shoe is finished, it’s time for the insoles, which feature three layers of memory foam to protect and cushion the soles of the feet.
All Sole Bliss shoes and sneakers feature three different layers of high-quality, antibacterial memory foam to provide customized cushioning.
The base layer provides powerful shock absorption and protects the ball of the foot. The middle model contours the foot for customized support and the upper offers softness and comfort.
Finally, a foam cushion is attached to support the arch of the foot to keep the foot in the correct position and to counteract pronation, the inward rolling of the foot. “You’ll feel like you’re walking on clouds,” laughs Lisa.
After the shoes are packaged in pale pink boxes with the silver Sole Bliss logo, they are sent to Sole Bliss’ headquarters in Watford, Hertfordshire, where they are checked to ensure they are fit for royal use.