High heels hit the headlines in the UK this year, when an employer was forced to overturn their dress code which forced women to wear stilettos. A survey by law firm Slater andd Gordon found that more women are being told by their bosses to wear high heels.
Nicola Thorp's flat shoes go on display @HackneyMuseum today https://t.co/Ob6E12jcTK #Shoegate pic.twitter.com/dJCwLgNScO
— Hackney Council (@hackneycouncil) July 6, 2016
One in five women said they felt that their bosses paid more attention to their appearance than they did to their male colleagues, the survey found.
Seven percent of women said their bosses had urged them to wear high heels in the office or with clients because it made them "more appealing," while eight percent were told to wear more make-up so they "looked prettier."
No Pain, High Gain
Entrepreneur Iris Anson was inspired to start a business which makes shoes for women that claim to fit like a glove, thus eliminating any painful heel problems.
Ms. Anson was tired of carrying spare shoes to work and wearing shoes that hurt her feet.
"I was inspired to start Solely Original because of friends and family. I saw what they went through and I thought why can't fashion be comfortable," Ms. Anson told Sputnik.
"We make bespoke shoes, which are tailored to the individuals feet, this means more comfort and even more style."
As a result of her desire to make high heels more comfortable, Ms. Anson gave up her job working as a tax consultant and enrolled in a shoe making course at the London College of Fashion. The aim, she said, was to find out as much about shoe making as she could before setting up a business.
Ms. Anson was keen to find technology that would help her make the business grow, her research lead her to a simple, 3D scanning method.
Customers can either visit her in her office or she sends them a cast in a silver package. The cast is essentially a sock, which her customers dip in water. It then hardens on their feet in minutes, and they send the foot mould back to her.
"The great thing about this business is that it is portable, you don't have to go into a shop to have your feet measured, you can send the scans in the post, it is very easy to use."
The bespoke nature goes even further as customers can also design their own shoes online. They can choose the overall style of shoe and then customize it however they want.
"This shoe company will make it easier for women to buy beautiful looking shoes without having to deal with the pain of walking in them," Ms. Anson told Sputnik.
It's worth mentioning that all of Ms. Anson's sales so far, have been achieved with no marketing.
