Begg Shoes has reported a significant increase in formal footwear purchases at the beginning of 2022.

The family business sells over 80 global shoe brands online and across its nine locations in Scotland including its shop in Albert Street Kirkwall. It says that demand for women’s shoes and occasion wear for Spring 2022 has tripled compared to the same period last year.

As well as seeing the tell-tale signs of a return to pre-COVID times, the business has also noticed a continuation of the big trend for outdoor pursuits, originally triggered by lockdowns. Showing its confidence in the continued interest, the company has added new outdoor brand ranges from On Running, Lowa and Gore-Tex.

Begg Shoes’ managing director, Donald Begg says:

“The increase in demand for dress and occasion footwear is reflected in the UK Google search data we are seeing for wedding shoes too. People are also ‘trading up’ with higher quality purchases compared to the same time last year, and encouragingly, we are experiencing an overall rise in customers coming back into our stores.

“Many of our stores are in locations with access to a wealth of countryside and have long been destinations for outdoor enthusiasts. We experienced a twofold increase in demand for outdoor footwear when lockdowns were first introduced, and there is no sign of a move back to pre-COVID times. We view this sustained interest in outdoor footwear as a more lasting shift in lifestyles than a fad during the pandemic.”