NATIONAL: Bennetts Boots is ramping up its marketing and production efforts as mainstream shoe labels begin to encroach on the wide calf boot market.
Based in Victoria, Bennetts Boots specialises in producing boots to accommodate large calves and recently teamed up with PR agency Bella PR to promote its wares.
However multiple mainstream shoe labels are also pushing wide calf product this winter.
Diana Ferrari, whose stockists include Myer, David Jones, Williams the Shoemen and Mathers, has released a wide calf range for winter 2010 and recently promoted the range on television program 'A Current Affair'.
Comfort shoe label Naturalizer has also dabbled in wide calf styles and soon to join the fray is Australian-owned online retailer The Pear Tree. The online store is set to go live this month and will offer Australian designed wide calf leather boots in sizes eight to 12.
Bennetts Boots co-founder Amanda Bennetts is confident in her offering however, claiming the arrival of Bennetts Boots' April shipment means the company now has the widest collection of wide calf boots in the world.
She also revealed the business is in the midst of expanding its operations in the wake of taking on a new co-owner in March 2010. Private investor Roger Langley now owns one third of the Bennetts Boots business, as does both Bennetts and fellow co-founder Matthew Tallent.
“We have moved up our expansion plans and been able to bring in more stock,” Bennetts said.
“We are moving to larger premises so we are better equipped to handle the rapid expansion.”
Bennetts Boots operates its own online store and stockists include Hicks Shoes (VIC), Bootique (SA) and Heavenly Soles (NZ).