Ross Oliver was founded by Ross Oliver Saunders in Bristol in December 2020, a stones throw from the Clifton suspension bridge, the influence behind the first Ross Oliver loafer. The idea to create a footwear brand came during Ross’ final year in university in 2017, after poor experiences with some of the world leading “designer” footwear brand. He set himself a challenge, he would maintain his studies for his BSc degree during his final year, but in his spare time, learn as much as possible about footwear with the end goal, to create and wear his own pair to his university graduation ceremony.

After successfully graduating (which was touch and go for a moment) and successfully creating his own ceremony pair or shoes, Ross fell in love with the shoe making and design process, and it was this experience that initiated the birth of Ross Oliver Footwear.

Fast forwarding a few years, Ross Oliver’s first design The ‘Bridge-bit Loafer’ was publicly displayed in 2019 as a concept design, displaying craft, originality and a unique design language. This loafer quickly picked up local and national press interest and industry recognition. Following this momentary success the concept design, the Bridge-bit loafer, went into further development before its official launch in July 2021.

Today, all Ross Oliver products are created using traditional hand crafted footwear techniques with high-end and luxurious cactus leather, with a focus on producing quality footwear to rival some of the UK’s leading footwear brands, but in sustainable, modern forms. With a completely unique design ethos, taking elements from some of history’s greatest footwear creations, and combining them with a hint of modernism, all Ross Oliver products offer a level of exclusiveity that today, is hard to find.