The first to leave his stable were Herbert Toe and Judi Toe, named after his mother and father, which fused traditional cobbling methods with hi- tech soles. The only decent shoes cost at least pounds 175, and everyone was wearing biker boots, so we designed something we wanted to wear and could actually afford."He teamed up with a friend, Craig Tate, to form a traditional, but fashion-based men's and women's company called Nicholas Deakins, which is still in business, although Deakin left in 1994 to pursue his own lines. "There was nothing around that we wanted to buy in the early Nineties. Rather than taking the traditional route via a footwear college such as Hackney's Cordwainers, he came at design from a commercial point of view. Stride sneakers have only been on sale for six weeks, and are selling out so quickly from shops across Europe that Deakin and his partner (in business and in love), Linzi Boyd, are grinning from ear to ear.Leeds-born Deakin has been in the shoe business since 1990, when he was a buyer for a local fashion store.

Judged the Best New Designer for 1997 at the recent Footwear Awards, his range of techno sneakers, Stride, is on show in the Review Gallery at the Design Museum. This is no mean feat. Sitting on a bright yellow inflatable sofa in his ultra-modern studio space in north London, the 27-year-old shoe designer Justin Deakin looks like a bright-eyed young thing with the earnestness of a Bisto Kid Except he is no newcomer Deakin is the hottest footwear designer of the moment. UK retail sales of champagne, 1991-96m litres pounds m1991 11.7 4251992 11.8 4101993 12.3 4001994 12.7 4301995 12.6 4801996(est) 15.0 550Source: MintelWhich, if any, of these best describe your attitude to champagne?Only for special occasions 52%Good for a romantic occasion 24Good for a treat 22 Makes a special gift 22 Too expensive 22 Only for Christmas or New Year 21 Dont like the taste 15 Like the taste 13 Good for mixing 12 Prefer the taste of sparkling wine 10 Good for drinking with a meal 8 Own label products just as good as main brands 7 Good for drinking before a meal 6 Goes to my head 5 Only for the super rich 3 Gives me a hangover 2 None of these 6 Don't know 1Source: BMRB/Mintel. Whatever, sales of the fizzy stuff are on the increase again ...