Shoenvious is a website on which you can tailor-make shoes, down to the soles. Courtesy Shoenvious
Shoenvious is a website on which you can tailor-make shoes, down to the soles. Courtesy Shoenvious
Shoenvious is a website on which you can tailor-make shoes, down to the soles. Courtesy Shoenvious
Shoenvious is a website on which you can tailor-make shoes, down to the soles. Courtesy Shoenvious

Shoenvious: custom-made shoes at the click of a button


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It is estimated that the average woman will buy more than 460 pairs of shoes in her lifetime and own 21 pairs at any given moment, of which nine will never be worn. Tastes may vary widely, but most women will be familiar with the physical and emotional rollercoaster that is shoe-shopping – traipsing from shop to shop, seeking our own personal Cinderella slipper, crushing heels and toes into options that are too tight/too high/not-high-enough. With the advent of online shopping, although we are now spared the legwork, we still have to worry about whether our new purchase will fit once it arrives.

All too often, women struggle to find the exact shoe they have in mind. One UAE resident, Saudin Noddings, frustrated by her fruitless searches and wasted money, was inspired to take matters into her own hands. The entrepreneur set out to create a platform that would allow women to design their perfect shoes – and then have them made to order.

Noddings tells me: "Ten years ago, when I got married, I bought my dress online, but it took me eight weeks to find the shoes to match my dress. I dragged my then fiance around all the malls because when you want something very specific, it is so difficult to find."

Saudin Noddings is the founder of Shoenvious. Courtesy Shoenvious
Saudin Noddings is the founder of Shoenvious. Courtesy Shoenvious

Four years and one very steep learning curve later, Shoenvious was born. The new site allows women to, literally, design the shoe of their dreams. A self-confessed shoe addict (“It’s my passion,” she confides), Noddings used her own consumer knowledge to create the company she had been looking for – one that listens to what the customers actually want and need.

Effectively working backwards from the standpoint of the customer, Shoenvious aims to be as easy and straightforward as possible. Simply go online, select your desired combination of shoe shape and style, add the heel height you want, select your favourite colours and your custom-made pair will arrive at your door about eight weeks later.

Learning about the shoe making industry 

Sitting in the Shoenvious office in Dubai, surrounded by racks of shoes and rails of leather samples, discussing this new and highly disruptive approach, it is difficult to believe that Noddings was a complete novice when she first set out.

“I didn’t know how difficult making shoes was when I started,” she says, laughing. “Perhaps it was better, because I just walked in and asked, with no idea how difficult what I was asking for was. Trying to learn and understand the work behind producing shoes and finding people to show me the correct way to do things was a long process.”

Noddings embarked on a crash course in a complex and competitive industry, researching and learning as much as she could. “It took two years to look at how the shoe industry works and shoe production works, but we are also a technology business, as we have brought shoe designing online,” she says. “This is a really new concept, so finding partners to execute what we were trying to do took another two years, to get the website up and how we wanted it.”

Notoriously difficult to construct, shoes are like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, comprising of up to 50 separate elements that must all fit perfectly. One slight miscalculation means the whole lot can be consigned to the dustbin, and work must begin again from scratch.

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Although there are many factories that produce shoes, most operate on a profit margin of less than five per cent, meaning that to make money, they must produce thousands of identical shoes. Although this business model is perfect for high-street stores and sports brands, which both deal in high turnover, for Shoenvious and its radical approach of individual pieces made to order, this was unworkable.

“No big factory wanted to work with us. They just weren’t interested,” Noddings explains. “It was so difficult when I was looking for people to work with. Trying to explain that I wanted one shoe made at a time, to order, and done quickly and at a very good quality.”

Customising your own shoe

Eventually, Noddings found a small Brazilian-run factory in China. “It is a really nice handmade shoe atelier, and he has been doing shoes for years,” says the entrepreneur.Only available online, Shoenvious offers 15 basic shoe templates that can be customised using four heel heights, 27 colours and seven finishes. Ankle straps can be added or removed as desired, as can bows, buckles and piping. Materials include leather, suede, patent leather and even satin, and customers have absolute control over the hue of every element.

With so many variables, customers have hundreds of thousands of combinations at their fingertips, and are able to create shoes that are effectively one-offs. Courtesy Shoenvious
With so many variables, customers have hundreds of thousands of combinations at their fingertips, and are able to create shoes that are effectively one-offs. Courtesy Shoenvious

Want a heel in hot pink patent leather and a toe in leopard-print skin? This can be achieved in just a few clicks on the website. New styles and materials will be added each quarter.

“Every part of the shoe can be changed. We even give you five options for the lining – normally it’s just black or beige.” As we look over the wall of samples, Noddings is clearly proud of the final results. She tells me: “We spend a lot of time on research and development of the shoes, and making sure they are comfortable, and that the pressure points of the feet are evenly distributed. We are always looking at how we can improve that.”

With so many variables, customers have hundreds of thousands of combinations at their fingertips and are able to create shoes that are effectively one-offs. However, despite the high level of customisation, prices start at just Dh1,500.

Engraving personal messages

With no bricks-and-mortar stores or middlemen to pay for, Shoenvious is about using a direct-to-consumer model that reduces costs, and passes those savings on to the customer. “We deliver worldwide, for free. When you go to a store, you don’t pay for your bag, so we make sure we are not charging the customer for bringing the item from our warehouse to their doorstep. Also, we guarantee the size of the shoe. If you order a 7 and it doesn’t fit, we will remake that shoe for you at no extra charge and even cover the shipping. We want to make the whole experience as seamless as possible,” she says.

Those looking for the ultimate bespoke touch can even – for a little extra – have a personal message engraved onto the sole or the inside of the shoe. To demonstrate, Noddings holds up a strappy sandal sample, with a wedding proposal, “Kate, marry me?”, inscribed in gold lettering.

"We can write whatever you want," she says. Another option is a gift card that can be either sent physically or emailed. "Everyone is looking for a gift idea, and this looks like you really thought about it."

The site took two years to create. Courtesy Shoenvious
The site took two years to create. Courtesy Shoenvious

A keen online shopper herself, this dynamic young business­woman has been quick to capitalise on what she sees as the shortcomings of other online portals. “The way I see it; we have two products. We have the shoes, which need to be done really nicely, because that is what the customer is paying for, and then there is the experience, of going onto our site and designing your perfect shoe.

“We need to ensure it is user-­friendly, is what she expects, with the styles and materials she is looking for. I am a person who shops online, so I fully understand the mindset. I know that shoppers ask: ‘Why can’t the brand just invest a bit more, and give a better experience?’

“We tried to look at all the negatives, and find a solution. We let women design their own shoe, but on a deeper level it’s about not compromising,” says Noddings. “Why should she have to settle for the wrong size, or the wrong colour, or the wrong style because that’s all that’s available in the shoe shop?

The biog:

From: Wimbledon, London, UK

Education: Medical doctor

Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures 

Favourite animals: All of them 

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

Roger Federer's 2018 record

Australian Open Champion

Rotterdam Champion

Indian Wells Runner-up

Miami Second round

Stuttgart Champion

Halle Runner-up

Wimbledon Quarter-finals

Cincinnati Runner-up

US Open Fourth round

Shanghai Semi-finals

Basel Champion

Paris Masters Semi-finals

 

 

Dunki
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rajkumar%20Hirani%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Taapsee%20Pannu%2C%20Vikram%20Kochhar%20and%20Anil%20Grover%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca

Bharat

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES

Mar 10: Norwich(A)

Mar 13: Newcastle(H)

Mar 16: Lille(A)

Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)

Apr 2: Brentford(H)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20OneOrder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tamer%20Amer%20and%20Karim%20Maurice%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E82%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Points tally

1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3

The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
While you're here
RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

The distance learning plan

Spring break will be from March 8 - 19

Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm

Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19

Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning

Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66