sHOES HAVE NAMES
AT LONDON CRAFT WEEK
30th September - 07th October 2020.
Boutique by Shelter, Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4AB
Photography by Dan Lowe
Kimberley’s story
No one knows as well as Kimberley and her husband just how cold, inhumane and senseless the UK’s housing system can be.
It was Christmas 2015. Kimberley was 34 weeks pregnant with her second child, and she’d just received an eviction notice from her landlord. The date they wanted her to move out was just three weeks after her planned caesarean.
Kimberley and her family had lived in their privately rented home for two years, the longest period they’d been able to stay in one home for a very long time.
But now it was chaos. Kimberley visited the council who told the family they would have to find another place on their own. Kimberley visited estate agents, trawled websites, but for each DSS-accepting property that became available, there would be dozens, if not hundreds, of people applying for it. Their bureaucratic nightmare would only get worse. The council wouldn’t help the family until the next stage of the eviction. Then they were told to wait for a court date. Then they had to wait for the paperwork. And then the judge's decision. And then the bailiff’s letter.
“It felt so impersonal. We were just the next one on the list, and there was so many. It’s cold, unfeeling and so hard to jump through all the hoops. You’re constantly fighting.”
“I spoke to the Helpline at each stage. They gave me the support I needed every step of the way. That’s what Shelter do: they give you the confidence you need and they make sure you know your rights.”
Operating in a system that feels designed to grind you down, having someone in your corner makes all the difference. In September 2016, nine months after receiving their eviction notice, Kimberley and her family moved into social housing.
About Kimberley’s shoe
“Making meaningful, personal connections to our surroundings - and the ability to be able to emotionally integrate yourself and your family within unfamiliar surroundings - is no easy feat.
My partner for the Shoe Have Names project, Kimberley, is a woman at the centre of her family. She embodies courage and strength whilst moving from property-to-property with limited space, accepting constant change, whilst providing comfort and protection for those who rely upon her. Longing to find ties that connect us to our home, wherever that may be, can feel like a relentless struggle.
Kimberley talks about an excitedness for finally being able to decorate their own space, which is something many of us can relate to. The clothes you wear obtain your smell and your touch, your shoes embody your very being as they also experience the journeys that you take.
By not just helping Kimberley’s family find a home, but by rebuilding a sense of belonging, the significance of the work carried out by Shelter cannot be praised enough. Shelter helped Kimberley’s family to find a place that they could make their own.
Obsessed by the history of things and their personal journeys, I have handcrafted the ‘Kimberley’ shoes out of re-purposed materials from my old sofa; panels unstitched, padding cut, cushioning re-shaped and its surface re-decorated.
This sofa, like they often are for many families, is an integral part of home. The surface of the leather from this sofa tells a story in the wear from its previous users; worn, stretched and shaped over time. This sofa already embodies two different chapters within its lifespan, and I am excited to follow its next journey as an upcycled pair of shoes.“
