After she found a bunion growing at the base of her big toe, Lisa Kay began investigating how uncomfortable footwear and high heels in particular could cause women a range of podiatric woes.
That was 30 years ago. Today, her Sole Bliss collection, launched in 2017 with four designs and now boasting more than 300, is worn by a roster of celebrities and royals including Julia Roberts, Helen Mirren, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Lucy Liu and Queen Camilla, who donned a pair a visit to Cornwall, in 2020.
But while this is “lovely to see”, the former chartered accountant and Bushey United Synagogue member, 60, says her focus remains comfort.
Lisa Kay modelling her footwear
“There are more than 10 million women with bunions in the UK alone and that makes wearing heels uncomfortable. Most shoe designs don’t consider this reality so I wanted to create something that did.
“I worked with podiatrists researching different conditions and technology that would make shoes more comfortable for people with bunions. Our customers tell us they can really dance all night long in the shoes and I love that.”
But while you will find plenty of Kay’s shoes at simchas – “I always spot Jewish women in them at weddings and at bat and bar mitzvahs” – you won’t find Sole Bliss footwear on the high street. Kay’s business, which this year will turn over £10 million, is entirely down word-of-mouth recommendations and online sales.
Lisa Kay in her warehouse Credit :Alistair Veryard Photography
“I think comfort has become quite fashionable,” she says. “It used to be that you were expected to be uncomfortable in a nice pair of heels but that isn’t the case anymore.”
This comfort comes thanks to the shoes’ triple layers of cushioning which protects the ball of the foot. In addition, every Sole Bliss shoe has what she calls a “bunion bed”, a hidden stretch panel that accommodates bunions and wide feet, without altering the silhouette of the shoe.
They are certainly a hit with the actor Drew Barrymore who regularly wears Sole Bliss heels to present the daily The Drew Barrymore Show. Oscar-winning actor Julia Roberts wore a pair to the premier of her film Ticket to Paradise and in 2020, Queen Camilla was spotted in a pair on a visit to Cornwall.
Drew Barrymore in Lisa Kay footwear on The Drew Barrymore Show with Natalie Portman
Not that Kay chases celebrity endorsements for her company which came 58th in the The Sunday Times Hundred 2024, the paper’s guide to Britain’s fastest growing businesses. “At the end of the day you need to make a good product, to give the customer what they want.”
See more: https://solebliss.com/
