Meet Debbie Paver
12 November 2024
Julie Player, fashion editor, wardrobe stylist, and model in our latest TV ad, sat down with Debbie Paver for a brief history of Pavers Shoes.
Hi Debbie! For any new customers who are discovering Pavers for the first time and aren’t familiar with the brand, can you tell me how and when the company began?
The company was started in York, back in 1971 by my mother-in-law Catherine who wanted to set up a business buying and selling products directly to people in their homes. She was an astounding woman, so entrepreneurial. When my husband was about three, she went to the bank for a loan and was turned away and told that women can’t run a business! This was like a red rag to a bull and she was even more determined – she applied to another bank and this time she said she wanted £200 to buy a sofa, and they gave it to her, because women were allowed to buy sofas! She was tenacious, amazing – and not to be crossed!
What type of things did she sell?
She didn’t start off with shoes, she would go to factories and buy things that she thought would sell to women like herself, anything from toasters to Chopper bikes! She bought lots of ex-catalogue stock, brands like Ladybird childrenswear, and sold it at parties in village halls and people’s homes. It was incredibly successful, and she went on to employ a lot of women who were able to juggle their busy lives with work in the evenings. She really understood how important it was to deal directly with the customer. My husband remembers the house being full of stuff all the time, but she made him wait until Christmas or his birthday if he wanted anything himself! It was when she bought a consignment of shoes and boots that she really found her passion as she loved shoes but had trouble finding stylish designs that were comfortable and fitted her properly, and so slowly she began to buy more shoes, and less of the other things and that’s how the business started. In 1981 she opened her first shop in Scarborough, closely followed by York and Southport, and now there are over 130 shops around the country.
She sounds like an amazing woman! When did you get involved in the company?
All three of Catherine’s sons worked for the business and when I met my husband Ian, the youngest of the brothers, he was helping his mum to find suppliers and stock. At that point they had four shops and the warehouse was a garage at the back of the house and we would ferry the shoes around in our cars. Then about 25 years ago Ian discovered an Italian brand called Flyflot and one day, when our kids were little, he came home with a slipper and said “What do you think to that Deb.” I put it on and it felt amazing, he said “That’s great, because we are going to be selling it on Shop TV and I told them you would go on and sell it!” So, I didn’t have much choice, I went on without any training and chatted about the slipper! And that went on for years and years and opened up a whole new market for us. We now have our own dedicated shopping channel on YouTube and Flyflot is still one of our customer’s favourite brands.
I can tell that the customer is just as important to you as they were to Catherine, what is it about Pavers that they love?
I think they appreciate that we are a very honest company and although we have grown, we still have strong family values. All our staff are trained to understand the customer's needs and are happy to advise and help people. Customers become friends and will often pop in with chocolates and cakes, people like the connection and interaction. It’s the same with TV selling, it’s important to be honest about sizing and fittings otherwise you will end up with an unhappy customer. We get lots of messages from customers telling us how much they love our shoes and how comfortable they are.
One of the many things I like about Pavers is that they appreciate the needs of the older customer and unlike other brands, you positively celebrate women of all ages.
Yes definitely, we always have done because that customer is important to us. My mother-in-law was ‘of a certain age’ when she started the company, and she was formidable. A woman who has worked hard, whether it’s in industry or the home deserves to be embraced and respected for their knowledge. I believe 60 is the new 40 and women are no longer willing to sacrifice style for comfort. They want affordable shoes with personality, that will look good and feel great, and they will find that at Pavers. I think our success has been a bit of a secret for many years, but we are proud of our shoes and our customers and we are happy to shout about it.
I’m 57 and I absolutely love my knee-high boots from the new autumn collection, why do you think it’s been so successful?
Our buyers really understand the different needs of the many types of Pavers customer. Some of our buyers are new and some have been with us for many years, so we have a great mix of talent. I think the biggest change in the last few years has been the popularity of trainers. In the past women would only wear them as sports shoes but now they are fashionable, on-trend and worn for every occasion and we have a massive selection to choose from. Alongside our own brand we stock Rieker and have a collection of Skechers that is exclusive to Pavers.
What are your favourite styles from the new collection, if you had to pick one pair which would it be?
Ooo that’s hard, can I have two! I would definitely pick a trainer, because I am really short I like styles with built-up chunky soles, I’ve got a white and silver pair that I wear all the time. I’ve also got a pair of equestrian style low boots that I wear for walks, oh and can I have a third? I also love my Relife by Pavers ankle boots, I’ve had the same pair for years and I love them!
If you could step into somebody else’s shoes for a day and live their life, who would you choose?
About two years ago, I met Dame Esther Rantzen as we were working on a collaboration to raise money for The Silver Line, a helpline that she launched to tackle loneliness in older people. What an amazing woman! We interviewed her at her home in Hampstead and she was so warm and generous with her time, I got to know her quite well, and she invited me to a concert that she was going to. I met all her family, and I thought, what an incredible woman. She has achieved so much in her life and continues to campaign for the things she strongly believes in, and I really admire her for that.
And finally, one last question. What famous celebrity would you love to see wearing a pair of Pavers shoes?
Judi Dench, I think she does wear them actually! Judi was born in Heworth, Yorkshire where my husband was born, she lived down the road from Catherine and Judi’s father was their doctor, so there’s a family history. She always looks glamorous and trendy and would look amazing in a pair of our shoes, she’d appreciate the comfort factor too!