Two Glasgow graduates struggling to find employment during coronavirus have put their heart - and sole - into creating an exclusive line of trainers themed around the city.
School pals Fergus McPhillamy and Euan Angus, both 23 and recently graduated from Glasgow University, initially started customising shoes as a way to keep creative during lockdown.
After gifting a pair of unique trainers to his girlfriend on her birthday, Fergus saw a gap in the market and encouraged his best friend Euan to step into business with him.
Engineering grad Fergus told Glasgow Live: “With all the covid stuff going on we thought we needed to make money and do something with our time.
“It’s been difficult for graduates, there's not a lot of jobs out there at the moment but we wanted to keep busy and think outside the box.
“My mind has been taken over by engineering the last five years so to do something like this has been really fun. ”
The duo's first collection focuses on Glasgow’s most iconic spots - from the Finnieston Crane and The Armadillo to the Duke of Wellington’s cone but in the boys also specialise in one off designs.
“We’ve got people queueing up for bespoke stuff and we’ve had a great reaction to our Glasgow collection too,” said Fergus. “Coming from a small town in the Scottish Borders, we have chosen to pay tribute to the impact Glasgow has made on us both.
“We knew we had to pick designs and symbols that were instantly recognisable to all Glaswegians.
“We love Glasgow but this is just the start for us - hopefully we can do other cities in the future too.”
Prices start at around £150 and the trainers take around 10-20 hours to complete from start to finish.
Luckily Ewan, who studied architecture is the “definition of a steady hand” jokes Fergus and the pair enjoy working together for hours on end.
“It’s quite a process,” says Fergus. “We draft up about ten different designs on photoshop and then the painting has been a bit of a learning curve.
“At uni I was drawing on paper and now I am drawing on shoes. It’s really exciting though. We’re looking forward to see where it goes.
They're not on sale yet, but follow the boys’ social media or their website to check when they drop.
