A FAMILY firm which has been making medical devices and leg braces for almost a century has taken its first steps into making golf shoes and designer footwear.
Newcastle-based Peacocks Medical Group aims to use its experience making footwear for people such as diabetics who have lost the sensation in their feet by producing comfortable sports shoes.
The business, which designs and manufactures from its Benfield Business Park factory, has also started producing top-quality bespoke men’s fashion shoes.
Peacocks had been looking to supply hand-crafted designer footwear to high-end stores such as Fenwick, but the costs associated with making them would put them out of too many people’s reach.
However, the firm is continuing to sell its stylish shoes to a steady stream of customers in the North East through word of mouth. Their best customer has recently bought his fourth pair.
Managing director Chris Peacock, the fourth generation of his family to head the firm, says the golf shoe market could prove lucrative in the long term.
He said: “There is a special gap in the market in golf shoes. It’s a big market and the vast majority of players complain of foot pain.
“We’ve taken on a project manager to look at the market and we have started a research and development project to do the bespoke golf shoes."