Our Story
Our company was originally founded by Paul Taylor in 1965. Paul Taylor has always been quite the bon vivant with an appreciation for functional art and design.
Paul started creating handmade sandals, belts and other leather items in the East Village of NYC and carried his craft along with him to the west coast and the world over as he explored continents; collecting art, inspiration and curiosities along the way.
Paul and his wife Valerie found a home base in Asheville, North Carolina in 1995 and set up shop on a little cobblestone street in the downtown Asheville historic district. Paul Taylor Sandals became a favorite among locals and visitors alike, offering custom made sandals to fit your feet, leather belts cut to fit while you wait, and the largest collection of vintage belt buckles in the country.
When Paul and Valerie decided to retire in 2010, they entrusted local entrepreneurs, Evar and Rebecca Hecht with the business they had worked for decades to build and create. Evar and Rebecca spent months apprenticing with Paul and Valerie learning the art of sandal making and leather craft, grateful to carry on a rich tradition of craftsmanship as well as Paul and Valerie's legacy.
Today, as Shining Rock Goods, we honor Paul Taylor's commitment the tradition of quality handmade goods that are built to last. We will continue to call our sandals the Paul Taylor Collection and we continue to make all of our leather goods locally by hand. We also carry on the tradition of sharing our knowledge with others through our internship program. We have added thousands of buckles to our collection as well as expanded into making gorgeous handbags, wallets, guitar straps, pet leashes, and offer custom work for one of a kind items.
You can now conveniently shop with us online from anywhere in the world, or come visit us in person at our bricks and mortar retail store at 12 Wall Street in Asheville, NC.
