EXCLUSIVE by Sue Potter
A telephone call from the owner of a Folkestone glamour wear shop sparked a chain of events that inspired the much hyped comedy film “Kinky Boots”, which opened this week.
Sue Sheppard, owner of transgender specialist glamour wear shop Lacies in Dover Road, Folkestone, is in big demand as the film is already being compared to smash hit Brit comedies such as “The Full Monty” and “Calendar Girls”.
Directed by Julian Jarrold the film was inspired by the story of Steve Pateman, owner of Northampton shoemaking firm, W J Brooks and Co.
Specialising in lovingly handcrafted shoes and boots, most of which were exported abroad, Mr Pateman’s business started to founder when the value of the pound increased, making his goods even more expensive, and interest rates shot up.
Things got so bad that 30 employees were made redundant and the company was facing a crisis.
PVC footwear
Meanwhile, in Folkestone, Sue was searching the internet for someone who could make the glamorous spike heeled leather and PVC footwear her customers favoured in the larger sizes they required.
She said: “The search came up with the name of W J Brooks so I gave them a call and asked if they could help.”
It was the call that Steve had been waiting for. In an interview with Telegraph journalist, David Gritten, he recalled the telephone call from Sue that he says “changed his life.”
Beatle boots, winkle pickers and creepers
“We’d done a lot of high heels on the past as well as Beatle boots, winkle pickers and creepers,” he said, “so I invested £12,000 in a machine to put 41/2 inch heels on boots.”
The gamble paid off and demand was so high that Steve eventually turned the whole factory over to producing the specialist footwear.
Keen to promote his new footwear Steve took to modelling it himself when the occasion demanded!
But, despite his efforts, the factory eventually closed down five years ago, but his story forms the basis of the film that is taking the country by storm.
Lola
Sadly, Sue’s life-changing telephone call didn’t make it into the film version – instead the credit goes to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s glamorous transvestite, Lola – but now she’s been revealed as the inspiration behind Steve’s change of direction, she’s enjoying what she calls her “five minutes of fame.”
Tottering around in red thigh boots
She said: “I’ve had a lot of people clamouring to do interviews and things and coming to the shop to photograph me tottering around in red thigh boots, which is fun.
“Apparently “Kinky Boots” is the hottest film of the moment so who knows where it might lead?
“I’m very pleased for Steve of course but I’d just like to remind him, if he’s reading this, that he still owes me dinner!”