(WHAS11)--There’s a new evolution of footwear brewing for women that will take your heels to flats within seconds!
A 23-year-old entrepreneur, Haley Pavone, created Pashion Footwear which is the world's first full line of heels that quickly convert from one to the other.
Pavone’s motivation? According to her YouTube video, she was out dancing when she had an all-too-common experience: She had just removed her own high heels and was dancing barefoot in a crowd when a woman next to her stepped on her foot with a stiletto heel. The stiletto impaled her foot, she says.
For women, high heels are an uncomfortable, stylish and mostly required accessory for many occasions, however, unhealthy in many instances. As a junior in California Polytechnic State University's business program with a concentration in entrepreneurship, Pavone set out to solve this conundrum by creating shoes that could easily convert from stylish high heels to still-stylish-but-decidedly-more-comfortable flats.
Pashion is a patented design that involves a heel that can easily be removed or locked in place with a twist, along with what the company calls a "stelo"--a support that runs the length of the sole to keep the shoe rigid when it's high-heeled, and that is removed along with the heel, allowing the flat shoe to bend as the wearer walks.
The shoes are said to have been designed with a team of shoe designers who'd worked at companies like Nike, Ariat, and Keen. The shoes are available in a few different styles and colors on the Pashion website and at some Hudson Bay stores.
To create the Pashion shoe, Pavone teamed up with an industrial designer and mechanical engineer, won several pitch competitions, and got into Cal Poly's HotHouse incubator program. With a patent and 3-D-printed prototype in hand, Pavone launched a Kickstarter campaign, but then withdrew it and instead invited people to preorder the first 200 pairs directly from the company website. Before it pulled the plug on the campaign, Pashion had raised about $38,000 of its Kickstarter goal of $100,000.
Fortunately, Pavone also successfully pitched investors and raised $1.7 million in a seed round. That was enough to bring her first two styles to market in black now, with more styles and colors planned for the fall. The shoes are retailed at $165 and come with a drawstring bag for holding the heels and stelos or flat heel caps when not in use.
The heel is only 4 inches but perfect for women who love the look of heels, especially strappy sandals and enjoy wearing heels from time to time in social or work settings. This genius invention has been what millions of women have been praying for if you prefer comfort over anything. The flat has a slight mini heel that gives it a chic appeal.
When it comes to fashion trends, there are no rules however, we are seeing a shift in the millennial culture that is empowering women against gender bias surrounding wearing high heels. To shop this trend click here.
Contact Digital Content Producer Bethanni Williams at Bwilliams@whas11.com
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