New apprentices help make shoes for Manchester United manager
08/05/2012
Buchanan Bespoke Footwear has been providing high-quality tailored shoes in Govan for nearly 90 years, using an exclusive range of fine leathers, linings, and soling materials. It currently employs around 50 people.
Three apprentices, Andrew Harvey, Scott Rennie and William Magee, are in the process of learning the variety of skills required to become bespoke shoemakers and have been involved in making a special pair of brown brogues for Sir Alex Ferguson, now manager of Manchester United, but a native of Govan.
The three apprentices recently travelled to Manchester to hand the shoes over. They made a standard pair of size nine, because the Manchester United manager was unavailable to attend the three sessions that are normally necessary to measure a client’s feet, have a trial fit and then final fitting. However, he had already expressed his support for the company’s efforts to train a new generation of craftspeople.
Diana Currie, managing director of Buchanan Bespoke Footwear, explained: “We have been providing high-quality footwear since 1925. It is important that we keep the traditional hand crafting shoemaking skills alive and by taking on new apprentices we can create a new generation of experts who can keep the business going as other staff retire.
“I wrote to Sir Alex to tell him about our commitment to training and the three new apprentices. He was only too happy to show his support and get involved with us as we are based in his hometown. Our apprentices were thrilled to meet him and I am sure it will inspire them to continue learning new skills and the business as a whole.”
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