Irish-Dancer
have just had an exclusive chat to
Julian Wild
That's him on the right!

He's the inspiration behind the very popular range of shoes known as Corr's Irish Shoes

We've tried them out previously and our Siobhán loved them (see here) so we thought we'd find out a little more about the company. Julian turned out to have a fascinating background, and is a really nice man too!

Read on to see what he had to say.......................

O.K.  I was a professional dancer throughout the 1980’s - mostly performing in musical theater and TV productions.  I guess the term is a “commercial dancer.”  My mother was a dance teacher and adjudicator, and my father was a wholesaler/retailer of dancewear - and also did some manufacturing.  I guess I have been quite evenly influenced by both of them - as a dancer, I followed my mother’s passion for dance, and now I am involved with the business side of dance, as my father was.

I’ve got to ask, the shoes aren’t anything to do with the Irish pop sensation The Corrs are they?  So where does the name come from?

No, it has nothing at all to do with the pop group - nothing quite that glamorous.  “Corr” is my mother’s maiden name (and remains her professional name as a dance teacher).  The naming of the company is really a tribute to her parents, my grandparents, now deceased - the Corrs.  It’s actually quite a rare name, even among the Irish from whom it originates.  My mother’s side of the family is Irish - though I remember, as a child, trying to convince people that “Corr” was indeed an Irish name.  It’s actually thanks to the recent popularity of the pop group “The Corrs” that this family name is now generally accepted as, in fact, being Irish.

People might think you are American, but you’re actually a Brit aren’t you?

That’s true.  Born and bred.  I met my American wife, Lisa, in 1989 and, after getting married, followed her back to the U.S. and was glad to do so (particularly as I trained here in New York City as a dancer in my teens).  - having recently met Lisa as well, I can see why he followed her to the USA, she's a very charming lady ;0)

It seems a long time ago now.  It’s like coming full-circle in a way, as my other grandmother (whose mother was an Irish-American woman who owned a hotel in Boston, MA) moved to England from America as a young girl around World War I (a bit of family trivia).

You’ve got a background in dance, and have danced in some well known shows, haven’t you?  It sounds very exciting, so tell us about that.

I’ve got to tell you, I was mostly pre-occupied with simply trying to keep working as a dancer in order to make a living, which is hard. (something that all the budding young stars should bear in mind before taking up dance as their chosen career!) 

I remember the work mostly, and the new challenges in each new project.  I always enjoyed a challenge (and still do) and was fortunate to have been involved in some top-draw productions (42nd.St., Follies, Me and My Girl,” etc.), and to have worked with some very creative people.  I worked in TV as a commercial dancer, in the London theatre in various productions, in London nightclubs as a singer, and held various teaching positions at performing arts academies in London.  They were busy times, to say the least, and I kept this up for about ten years - frantic pace. WOW! (Julian also mentioned that early on in his career he had also worked in Blackpool, the site of the recent British National championships. So it seems like he has been inadvertently linked to the Irish dance World all of his life!)

So you weren’t an Irish dancer yourself, what’s the connection with Irish dancing?

Well, my heritage is Irish and, yes, I was a dancer - but never did Irish dance competitively or professionally.  I did learn Irish dance as a kid as part of my early dance training, but when I was a boy, my hero (or idol) was Gene Kelly - and that’s the dancing that excited me at the time.  I always liked Kelly because he was solid and ‘in command’ and a ‘guy’s guy’ (you have to remember that this was at a time when boys just didn’t ‘dance’).  Anyway, Gene Kelly made a great impression on me and was the reason I became a dancer.  (Sounds like the Billy Elliott story all over again!)

But, also - as for why I didn’t at the time pursue Irish dancing - well, I simply needed to make money as a dancer and, as far as I knew, in those days there was no way to do that in Irish dancing.  This is several years before Riverdance came about.  I think that if Riverdance had come about when I was dancing - I would have seen it as another dance discipline to master, and would have risen to the challenge of it.  I’m quite in awe of the many Irish dancers I see in competition and working professionally, and particularly like to watch the boys attack it.  It’s fantastic!.  They’re incredibly skillful and it’s wonderful to watch!

It’s a bit of a career jump from dancing to shoemaking, how did that come about?

Well, it didn’t happen just like that - it was a slow process.  The dancewear industry is something that I’ve been surrounded with all my life.  As I said, my dad was a retailer and wholesaler of dancewear and I would work with him at trade fairs or wherever, helping out where I could.  Also, my ‘Godfather’ is Rodney Freed (of ‘Freeds of London’ Ballet Shoes) and I lived with the Freed family for years, as they are old (or should I say ‘close’) family friends.  I would work in Rodney’s shop on occasion or go out to do ‘pointe-shoe’ fittings with him for the ballet dancers.  In order to be of better help to Rodney, I needed to learn more about the specifics that were important to the dancers, and so I started paying attention and asking questions.  Rodney Freed is one of the truly great master-craftsmen in the business and a genuinely nice man.  All the dancers love him and he has such a natural way with them.  He took me under his wing and has had a great influence on me, teaching me a lot about the craft, which came in handy years later - little did I know.

I didn’t have a “plan” to get into Irish dance shoe manufacturing: it all just came about when I happened to notice some Irish dancing shoes while on a sales call to a dancewear store selling some ballroom shoes (my wholesale company imports these, among other things).  I was particularly interested in the production quality of the Irish dance shoes I saw - coupled with the wholesale cost.  My existing accounts knew my background, noted my interest, and finally asked me if I thought I could come up with a line of Irish dance shoes - and I responded positively as I felt there was a place in the market for what later became Corr’s Irish Shoes.

As you haven’t experienced Irish dance yourself, what sort of research did you do before making your shoes?

I knew what I had in mind as far as the improvements I thought needed to be made to the Irish dance shoes that I saw at that time, particularly in the areas of safety and comfort.  The very first thing I did was to spend time talking with the store owners about what they found to be the major complaints with regard to their present Irish dance shoes in stock - product durability, safety and comfort being the major issues.  I collected samples of competitors’ products and literally dissected them.  I solicited input from Rodney Freed and other dance shoe master-craftsmen.  At this early stage, prototypes of both hard and soft shoes needed to be created before they could be presented to dance teachers (and their dancers) for necessary testing and feedback.

I learned enough about the specific demands of the dance and the conditions under which the dancers performed to allow me to decide on the design and construction of these first prototype Corr’s shoes.  I realized what could be of obvious benefit to the dancers - the major challenges came in choice of materials and implementation of specific design details.  Once I had enough information, we (I and my team of talented designers and craftsmen) created the first Corr’s prototypes, after which we sought and received dancer and teacher feedback, a process that continues to this day.

Do you work with dancers when designing your shoes?

Always.  It’s vital.  The shoe either works, or it doesn’t, and there’s only one way to know.  Initially though (before submitting prototypes for dancer trials and testing) certain necessary inclusions seemed obvious to me, from having been a dancer and a dance teacher myself, and knowing something of the conditions under which Irish dancers perform.  The first Corr’s prototypes all had padded in-socks and were specially lined to counter friction and blisters.  They had flexible insoles, flexible arch-supports, and utilized durable high-tech materials for toe-tips, and so forth.  I managed to bring all these features to the shoes and still keep within the same price range as many of our major competitors.

Once these prototypes were ready, I was fortunate to be able to consult with a couple of Irish dance teachers and their students - one in Connecticut and one in the UK - and to be able to get the necessary initial feedback.  This process of being able to react to constructive criticism is the only way to further improve the product, and has been a process that we have actively pursued in the years since Corr’s was first established.  Whenever we introduce a new shoe, it is only after several months of research, development and testing … and even then, we continue to look for ways to improve them further.

Have you sought approval from the dance federations, An Coimisiún, etc. when designing them?

Not only have the Corr’s range of products met with the approval of dance federation members and adjudicators - they have been extremely well received in America, Ireland and around the world.  I have also enjoyed many conversations with judges and teachers regarding Corr’s shoes, many of whom have their students in our shoes, or who personally wear them for teaching.  I always welcome the opportunity to meet with teachers and adjudicators and to have a chance to get to hear their comments.  Many changes, improvements, and (actually) brand new concepts in Corr’s construction have come about as a direct result of such discussions. 

Also, it has always been important in Irish dance to be aware of the ‘tradition’ surrounding dance attire.  Although Corr’s offers many styles of hard and soft shoes, and they differ quite dramatically in some areas of internal ‘construction’ (to take into account certain features necessary for dancer’s safety concerns), the basic cut and shape of the shoes remains true to the tradition of Irish dance.  There are no radical departures from the familiar shape of a standard-type soft shoe, for instance.  Even our most dramatic hard shoe innovation - the ‘Champion Split-Sole Hard Shoe’ has a basic Oxford-type upper shape and cut, though differing only slightly around the toe-box area to better accommodate the toes - for ease of movement and comfort. 

To add to this point about ‘tradition’: the Irish dance federations do have quite specific guidelines regarding the formal rules for Irish Dance footwear and what constitutes an acceptable Irish dance shoe.  These instructions are clear-cut, and any deviations would be obvious to the memberships.

There are so many shoes already on the market; do you think there is room for another player?  Why, and where do you see yourself fitting in?

I asked myself this same question years back when I got my first glimpse of Irish dance shoes in that dance store in Connecticut, and I had some research to do there.  In the end, it came down to the factors of safety, quality and affordability (important).  I knew that if I could do exceedingly well in those areas, that there would, indeed, be a place for a new Irish dance shoe company.  I knew that I would be up against some stiff competition from other players in the market, who had been in this area of business for very many years and were, at that time, already firmly established. 

However, I went on faith that Corr’s would gain headway.  Believe me, it has been an uphill climb, especially in the beginning.  Nevertheless, I always believed in our product … always.  I was confident from the very first day and knew that, given enough time, our popularity would continue steadily to rise.  I’m pleased to say that it has done exactly that and today we are definitely ‘fitting in’.

Currently you have a strong distribution network in the USA, are they available anywhere else?  Will you be setting up a European arm?

Corr’s Irish Shoes brand products are currently available through our selective distribution network in the USA (where we first became established), Canada and Australia.  And yes, we have just recently introduced an exclusive UK distributor (see here), which will be beneficial to our many European customers as Corr’s Irish Shoes brand products will be available locally, including representation at major championships.  Customers can find links to some of our worldwide distributors on our website at www.corrsirishshoes.com and our products are also available through selected retailers. 

Do you make the shoes yourself, or do you oversee all production?

Much of my time and energy now is devoted to running the marketing and distribution side of the business.  Day-to-day oversight of production is not necessary as it is in the capable hands of a long-time colleague of my father’s, who has the responsibility for the selection of the craftsmen and operations of our factory.  In the design and manufacture of our shoes, I always seek the expertise of my master-craftsmen, whose practical advice is invaluable.  As owner of Corr’s I have final say regarding all Corr’s brand merchandise, but design concepts are only actualized as the result of incredible teamwork - each member bringing their own strengths, skills and practical experience to the table and much credit must be given to them.

Have you supplied any of the shows or top dancers?

Yes, Corr’s Irish Shoes are currently worn by dancers appearing in many shows across the world, including Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, etc. and we continue to discover that our products are worn by dancers in more and more stage productions as time goes on.  Corr’s does not believe that announcements of such, paid endorsements nor sponsorships are necessary in order to “legitimize” our company’s products.  We have always felt that our products speak for themselves and, as a result, our business has grown and continues to grow with limited, selective marketing and “word of mouth” - one dancer, one performer, one teacher, one adjudicator, one school, one show, at a time. 

Tell us about the shoes themselves.  You produce a hard shoe, and more recently a soft shoe, what has been the reaction to them?  What would you say was the outstanding features of your shoes?

Actually, we currently have three styles of hard/heavy shoe, four styles of soft/light shoe, and a men’s reel shoe - but who’s counting?  (it's true they have quite an extensive range) The reaction has been very positive across the boards, for which I am grateful, particularly so when our products are praised by dancers, for whom I have great respect.  Details about our shoes can be found on our website at www.corrsirishshoes.com along with some explanation about some of the choices made in design, materials and construction.

I’m proud to say that Corr’s Irish Shoes has been recognized as a “next generation,” innovative company - one that continually responds to the needs of the dancers, who continue to inspire us.  I would say the outstanding features of our shoes are in the areas of safety and comfort - including the careful selection of the finest leathers, padding, etc., the development and design of our unique toe and heel tips, to the development of our flexible shanks, etc., etc.  Our philosophy is that only a dancer with happy feet can explore their true potential. It is also true (as a pain of a perfectionist that I am) that if we can find a way in which to improve any of our products, we do just that - oftentimes at great financial short-term sacrifice.  This is partly from pride of product, partly to help the dancers in their art, partly from a desire to gain the respect of dancers - and also (partly) from a good business point of view: I want the best product we can make and one that the dancer will appreciate - and buy (I’m not totally selfless!).  Beyond that, we leave it to the dancer to decide.

What other projects are you working on now?

Well, we actually have about another half-dozen new products, at least, that either are due to come out this year or are slated for the future.  I could tell you about them, but as they are ‘top secret/very hush-hush,” I’m afraid I’d then have to kill you, Darren, much as I like you.  No need to turn nasty Julian! ;0)

If you had to sum up your goals (with regards to your shoes) in one sentence, what would you say?

Ah, that’s easy … our goal now is as it has always been: to create “Shoes made with the Dancer in mind.” The perfect sentiment & we can't ask for more than that can we??

So there you have it, a brief insight into how the
Corr's Irish shoes came to be.

Irish-dancer recommends that you try them

We did and we love them!