elevate your sole

An independent footwear chain on the North Wales coast and in Chester

elevate your sole describes itself as an independent shoe shop chain based in North Wales and Chester. It sells footwear online and through high street shops, and its range extends beyond shoes to clothing and accessories. The company presents itself as a destination for premium quality footwear bought online with confidence, and frames its physical locations as part of shopping streets where independent retailers predominate.

The shop network includes a store in Llandudno and a sister shop trading as Rieker by elevate your sole in Chester. The site also organises part of its Rieker catalogue by these two locations, with dedicated sections for Rieker in Chester and Rieker in Llandudno.

Brands stocked across women, men and children

The catalogue is built around a long A–Z of brands rather than a single label. Alongside Rieker, the site highlights Josef Seibel and Skechers, and lists many others, including Birkenstock, Blundstone, Bugatti, Caprice, DB Shoes, Dude, Ecco, El Naturalista, FitFlop, Fly London, Gabor, Gola, Havaianas, Hush Puppies, J M Cooper, Joya, Legero, Lotus, Lunar, MBT, Mephisto, Merrell, Natural World, Nordikas, Pikolinos, Regarde Le Ciel, Remonte, Sorel, Strive, Tamaris, Teva, Toni Pons, Van Dal, Victoria Shoes, Waldläufer, Westland and Wonders.

Children's footwear is grouped under its own brand list, which includes Bogs, Chipmunks, Camper, Crocs, Gola Kids, Heavenly Feet, Merrell Walking, Petasil, Salt-Water, Skechers, Slipfree, Start-Rite, Superfit and Superga. The clothing and accessories side of the business covers knitwear labels such as ERIBÉ, J M Cooper and Pachamama, Seasalt Cornwall clothing, Roka and Yoshi bags, Joma Jewellery, Nordic Socks and rainwear from Powder and Rainkiss.

How the shoe catalogue is organised

Women's shoes can be browsed by UK size from 3 to 9, and men's from 6 to 12, with half sizes included in the women's and men's size bands. The site also sorts stock by type and use: heels, sandals, barefoot shoes, brogues and lace-ups, orthotic-friendly styles, loafers and deck shoes, shoes made in Spain, outdoor shoes, trainers, vegan-friendly shoes, waterproof shoes, wedges and wider fitting options.

Boots have a separate structure covering ankle boots, smart boots, knee-high boots, wider fitting boots, casual and comfortable mid-calf boots, Spanish boots, waterproof boots and wellies. Men's categories mirror this approach with barefoot, brogues, boots, deck shoes, handmade shoes, loafers, outdoor, orthotic friendly, sandals, smart shoes, trainers, waterproof and wider fitting styles. Children's shoes are divided by age — pre-walkers (6–18 months), first shoes (1–3 years), pre-school (2–5 years) and older children (6+) — and by type, including school shoes, everyday shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, trainers, waterproof styles and wellies, plus a back-to-school section.

Rieker, Josef Seibel and Skechers

The site states that Rieker shoes have been offered for ten years, presented as footwear that combines comfort, style and durability. Rieker stock is split into women's and men's ranges, with women's ankle boots, boots, sandals, shoes, summer styles, trainers and winter styles, and men's boots, sandals, shoes, slip-on shoes, summer shoes and winter shoes. Both ranges can be filtered by UK size.

Josef Seibel is described as a producer of premium quality footwear for more than 100 years, spanning colourful sandals and shoes to soft, cosy lined boots. Skechers is presented as a brand built around innovation and comfort, with a diverse range of styles blending fashion and functionality. Remonte also has its own section covering ankle boots, boots, sandals, shoes and trainers.

Clothing, accessories and foot health

Beyond footwear, the shop sells clothing for women and men. The women's clothing categories are cardigans and jackets, dresses, jumpers, rainwear, skirts and tops; the men's clothing section is limited to jumpers. Accessories include bags and purses, jewellery, scarves, slippers, socks, umbrellas and a warm and cosy selection, with belts and men's slippers listed separately for men. A foot health section sits alongside these categories.

Buying online from a high street shop

It also publishes a shoe size guide, a blog, a gift card, FAQs and a meet the team page. The new-in sections at the time of writing showed Gabor women's styles — a black leather slingback at £125, mocca brown suede chain-trim loafers at £125, mocca brown suede medium-calf knee-high boots at £170 and black leather heeled ankle boots at £110 — and Pikolinos men's and unisex trainers and ankle boots priced between £129.99 and £144.99.