Loud and Raw

Shoes need a pick me up? Welcome to the world of Raw, a warehouse environment where you can groove along to the latest ass-kickin' tunes and have your hair braided while your boots undergo a customised paint job. The Raw experience is a mad concept in footwear that's hitting a high street near you.

Raw shops are on a serious save the world tip. From the rough-hewn wooden shelves and floor (all made from recycled or managed forest timber) to the extensive range of vegan footwear (only synthetic materials used) there's a conscious policy at work. Recycling bins mean your old soles won't go to waste, Raw collects and sends shoes for the British Red Cross who then include them in aid packages.

The message is spreading. Born out of a long established family footwear business, Raw launched in Cambridge early in1993 and now has stores in 15 major cities around England. "The response has been phenomenal.", says co-creator Nick Marlow who launched the first shop with cousin Guy.

Neither of the cousins claim to be fashion innovators, but they're quick to react to pick-up on trends set by creative footwear brands. "Footwear, like fashion, is increasingly all about individualism" says Nick. "If something becomes socially acceptable our customers don't want it, so we have to keep moving on". And moving on is what they do best. New styles arrive on the shelves every two weeks, maximising customer choice. Another essential element to the Raw success has been its openess to ideas from staff. It was staff suggestions that brought about the adoption of the Raw moniker (formerly the company was called Marlone) and propelled the radical Raw look of the stores.

T-shirts and a small collection of bags complement the boots and shoes, but Raw intends to keep its focus firmly on footwear. The Raw boyz will continue to supply High Street shoppers with leading names in branded footwear all delivered in an upfront environmentally-aware stylee.