We knew our Monday was going to be epic, to say the least. We kicked it off with a decent breakfast before suiting up and heading to FN Platform, the footwear show.

We walked the floor and really got a great look at all the competition under one roof. Upon realizing that the press table was cordoned off in a private room upstairs, we still made it our mission to drop off our press kits in the hope that we could get the Paul Evans range reviewed.

After being in the company of the big players in footwear at FN Platform, we were feeling pretty happy about what Paul Evans offers.

Knowing you have a great product is one thing, sizing it up against the big boys and owning them in quality, style, and price is another. For this reason, it’s fair to say the competition was anything but daunting. Speaking to people in the industry and explaining to them what Paul Evans is all about was very rewarding. Being able to ‘walk the walk’ is crucial and the responses we received really solidified our confidence.

The afternoon saw us hit up Project at Mandalay Bay, where we met up with the Marcus Troy Blogger Project. We spoke to Marcus Troy and Neil Watson from A&H magazine, working hard to get our shoes reviewed.

We then went to MRket at the Venetian. If you’re into menswear this really is the show you shouldn’t miss. After having our shoes shined we spoke with Saphir about shoe polish and a way to offer shoe care products to our customers sometime in the future.

Exhausted from what seemed like an endless day, we retired to the gambling floor for a couple of drinks and a thorough de-brief.

We learned what other brands are doing, but also that we are extremely happy in our product. We use calfskin leather, Goodyear welt and Blake construction, with the perfect blend of classic and modern designs, all made by craftsmen in Italy (The Brando and The Grant) and Spain (The Cagney).