Early Days, the Leicester-based shoe manufacturer whose baby footwear ha been worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, faces likely closure after more than seven decades in business.
Owner Paul Bolton has warned that the family firm, which also produces Baypod shoes, stands on the brink of collapse despite its famous royal clientele once sparking a surge in sales.
Mr Bolton, who operates the company alongside his brother, announced they can no longer sustain the business financially and are actively searching for a buyer.
"The decision to wind down the company comes in response to ongoing increases in overheads and the challenging state of both the UK and overseas economies over the past three years," Mr Bolton stated on LinkedIn. "We are exploring interest from various parties and welcome all enquiries."
Early Days, the brand behind the shoes worn by the Walses children, have announced they are on the brink of collapse
|GETTY
The company has been hit by a combination of escalating costs and weakening demand, according to Mr Bolton.
Energy bills and raw material prices have climbed sharply, while increases to the minimum wage and employer National Insurance Contributions have added further pressure to the firm's finances.
"It's just been hitting us from all angles, so we've had prices going up, but demand going down because of the consumer spending [which is] down," Mr Bolton explained.
The business has been compelled to raise prices on some of its products, with entry-level shoes now starting at £12.99 and the premium leather range – the same worn by the young royals – retailing at £32 per pair.
Orders from retailers have slowed considerably since 2022, with stockists pointing to deteriorating high street conditions.
The business was established more than 70 years ago by Mr Bolton's father and uncle, who launched the venture from their parents' home.
Princess Charlotte was seen in a pink pair of the "Emma" shoes
|EARLY DAYS
Its fortunes transformed dramatically when Prince George was photographed wearing Early Days shoes during a royal tour of Australasia.
The owner described the period as "marvellous" and "a remarkable time," with online sales temporarily suspended after stock sold out completely.
"The factory was on overtime, and it opened a lot of new accounts. People hadn't heard of us before, so they wanted to stock Early Days shoes," he told BBC Radio 5's Wake Up To Money programme.
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Annual turnover doubled following the royal publicity.
At its height, the manufacturer employed more than 100 staff and produced over 10,000 pairs weekly. Today, just 10 workers remain.
Mr Bolton and his brother have been injecting their own funds to keep the operation running, but he acknowledged they "just can't do it anymore."
Prince George wearing the shoes gave the company a big boost doubling their turnover
|GETTY
He estimates there is an 80 per cent chance the company will cease trading.
"We hope it's not the end, but I'd say it's 80 per cent likely it is," he said. "But we have got a lot of inquiries. Some are going to be, we hope, to perhaps invest, keep the company going over here. But we think some of the other inquiries, we think it's probably to move it overseas, which we've never wanted to do."
A government spokesman responded: "The Budget doubled down on our work to grow the economy and create good jobs, and we are delivering stability, cutting borrowing and getting inflation down."
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