An independent Bury St Edmunds shoe boutique is attracting the attention of buyers from overseas.

Shops in four American states – Delaware, Connecticut, New York and Brooklyn – have now placed orders for Nicola Sexton footwear.

Of her brand’s appeal to American consumers, owner and designer Nicola Sexton said: “We’re a British brand made in Italy which provides comfort at the right price.”

She also credits her success to changing her three core styles – the ballet pump, the low-heeled pump and the wedge – each season.

The mother-of-two first exhibited her shoes in America last summer. She won an award for being among the best 35 British brands at the FN Platform exhibition in Las Vegas but said many of the buyers there worked for large department stores.

Last month, hoping to target more of America’s independent boutiques, she took her brand to Sole Commerce, a clothing, shoes and accessories show in New York.

She left with orders for multiple shops across the four states, including one buyer with several shops in New York.

“The result is that we’re now a global brand,” said Nicola.

“It was the first show I did so to come back with four orders is phenomenal,” she added.

Next month her Abbeygate Street store will celebrate four years in business.

While ‘excited’ and ‘overwhelmed’ by the surge in interest from America, Nicola says she continues to value the ‘support’ and ‘loyalty’ of her local customers.

She also praised her ‘fantastic’ sales assistant Amanda Dell and revealed that she had been nominated as a finalist in the Growing Business/Brand Of The Year category of this year’s Drapers Footwear and Accessories Awards.