The shoe designer whose footwear is the life and sole of the simcha – and the red carpet

“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[Missing Credit]

“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[Missing Credit]

Not that Kay chases celebrity endorsements for her company  which came 58^th 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/