Love them or loathe them, there's no denying the fact that Theresa May's shoes are something of a phenomenon.
Never before have a politician's feet endured such scrutiny. As Home Secretary, she kickstarted a 60% rise in sales of leopard print shoes. Never one to rest on her laurels, as Prime Minister, she's been credited with bringing back the kitten heel, a feat previously thought nigh-on impossible (and arguably more demanding than pulling off those Brexit negotiations).
"It is interesting that people focus on my shoes—I don't think they focus on Philip Hammond's or Boris Johnson's in quite the same way," May has said. But then, when did Boris ever address the European Council wearing flats covered in lipstick kisses? Or don thigh-high leather boots to meet and greet the Queen?
"But look, do I regret the fact that people look at my shoes? Hey, it gives me an excuse to go and buy new shoes," the woman who has previously described shoes as the 'greatest love of her life' says. As the debate over heels in the workplace continues to rage, we think our Prime Minister is doing a great job of proving that your choice of footwear should be just that—your choice. Does picking jewel-studded flats over leopard print kitten heels affect her ability to run the country, after all? No. It does, however, inject a bit of sparkle into the often dry and dusty world of politics, which, in our opinion, is never a bad thing.
Her statement footwear takes her from work to play with both ease and pizzazz—with boots, loafers, court shoes and some of the best sandals around. Wondering where she snaps them up? Well, wonder no more, because we've found out where she picks up some of her most stylish pairs. You can even snap up some of her high street favorites right now.
The best places to find Theresa May's shoes
The former Prime Minister is a fan of many different brands, but seems to have a particular preference to a couple of key brands in particular. She has often been seen wearing UK brand Russell & Bromley, with L.K.Bennett also a big part of her shoe wardrobe. US designer Beverly Feldman also makes up a lot of the politician's shoe repertoire.
Russell & Bromley
Theresa May seems to be a big fan of Russell & Bromley, with much of her footwear coming from the London-based retailer. The former Prime Minister wore a warm pair of over-the-knee boots to attend the Ceremonial Welcome for the President of the Republic of Korea back in 2013 and, more famously, to meet the Queen. And she brought a bit of sparkle to 2015's Royal Academy Summer Exhibition VIP preview in a bedazzling pair of sparkly Russell & Bromley flats.
Theresa opted for a jewel-studded pair of patent brogues from Russell & Bromley to deliver her Brexit speech back in January 2017, teaming them with a tartan Vivienne Westwood suit. She also previously sported the £215 shoes to deliver a speech at the 2013 Conservative Party Conference.
Back in 2016, Theresa May wore a pair of velvet bow-trimmed, glitter-heeled court shoes from Russell & Bromley to the Ceremonial Welcome for the President of Colombia. The Prime Minister had previously worn the patent court shoes to deliver her keynote speech at the 2016 Conservative Party Conference. And she also donned a pair of kitten heels from her favorite label, to meet with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon ahead of the triggering of Article 50. The leopard print style is a favorite of Theresa's, and she's been spotted in a similar pair previously.
- Shop Russell & Bromley shoes (opens in new tab)
L.K.Bennett
Luxury fashion brand L.K.Bennett is another go-to of the former Prime Minister. Back in March 2017, Theresa teamed a pair of red patent L.K.Bennett court shoes with a suit from Amanda Wakely's 2014 Cruise Collection for the Conservative Party Spring Forum in Cardiff. According to Laura-Emily Dunn, who has documented Theresa May's sartorial choices on her blog, Political Style, 9% of the Prime Minister's wardrobe is red.
Theresa also picked the brand for a very important day in her career—her first day in office back in 2016. Figuring out what to wear on your first day in a new job is never easy, but Theresa got it oh-so-right, teaming her trademark L.K.Bennett leopard print kitten heels with a £695 color block coat by Amanda Wakeley for her first day in office, 13 July 2016.
- Shop L.K.Bennett shoes (opens in new tab)
Beverly Feldman
Theresa opted for an ostentatious pair of bejeweled leopard print heels by US designer Beverly Feldman to greet French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve when he visited 10 Downing Street in February 2017. She has been wearing the showstopping shoes to cabinet meetings since 2014. Feldman's mantra? "Too much is not enough".
The former Prime Minister donned an even more colorful pair of Beverly Feldman kitten heels to speak at the CBI Annual Conference in November 2016. Feldman has since re-named Theresa's preferred style the 'Theresa'.
- Shop Beverly Feldman shoes (opens in new tab)
Other
The former Prime Minister is often seen in a pair of gorgeous shoes but we're not always able to source where they come from. We love the Lipstick Kiss Print Flats she wore during the Conservative leadership campaign. On taking office, she recycled her favorite flats to address fellow European leaders at her first summit meeting.
On one of her most recent public appearances back in December 2019, Theresa wore a statement pair of flat black pointed pumps with a bejeweled buckle on top when she walked through the Commons Members Lobby with other Members of Parliament to hear the state opening of parliament at the Houses of Parliament.
Another favorite of ours is Theresa's go-to tasseled leopard-paneled ankle boots that have been her day-to-night saviors for years, taking her from cabinet meetings to work Christmas parties in comfort and style. While we're not sure quite where Theresa got these pairs from, we've listed out a few of our favorite shoe retailers where we've seen similar styles on offer.
- Dune London (opens in new tab)
- Office (opens in new tab)
- Marks & Spencer (opens in new tab)
- John Lewis (opens in new tab)
- ASOS (opens in new tab)
- Next (opens in new tab)
- Jones Bootmaker (opens in new tab)
- Kurt Geiger
We think it might be time to do some shoe shopping...
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