Style Unlocked: Walk in Style
Valley luxury shoe designer creates chic yet comfortable heels
For centuries women have sacrificed comfort for fashion — suffering silently in suffocating corsets, skinny jeans and stylish shoes either too high, too tight or both.
Phoenician Evelyn Schickling spent the greater part of her career in finance wearing painful pumps because the typical comfort shoe was not considered dress-code appropriate. After years of trying to retrofit torturous footwear with inserts and insoles, she took on the challenge of creating the perfect shoe herself. Evelyn Ford Luxury was born from the belief that there must be a way to create fashionable yet comfortable designer shoes.
In 2014, Schickling left her corporate life and enrolled in Ars Sutoria, the premier shoe design school in Milan. After successfully completing the program, she collaborated with production experts from eminent luxury brands, including Manolo Blahnik, Oscar de la Renta and Marchesa, as well as the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
After unsuccessfully trying to find an American manufacturer capable of delivering the quality of Italian shoemakers, Schickling decided to manufacture her shoes in the renowned Italian shoemaking town of Vigevano, located one hour outside of Milan in northern Italy.
This collaboration led Schickling to accomplish what she set out to achieve — designing shoes that are equally stylish and supportive. Her line of heels, flats and bridal footwear is arguably the most comfortable on the market — with a sneaker-like impact and gait, and customizable arch — all hidden in luxurious Italian materials and produced with uncompromising craftsmanship.
A CLASSIC BRETON LOOK
What also sets Evelyn Ford Luxury shoes apart is their elegant and timeless designs. This season, the brand pays tribute to Brittany, France, showcasing Breton striped heels and bows.
“I love classic clothes with classic but edgy accessories. That explains the unusual color and texture contrasts in my shoe designs,” Schickling said. It comes as no surprise that Coco Chanel was one of the inspirations behind the collection. “I enjoy the classic Breton look. Traditionally a working uniform for men, I think Chanel’s take on the Breton sweater for women just before World War I might have been the first injection of ‘street chic’ into women’s style,” Schickling said.
The Evelyn Ford Luxury Casey shoe borrows from shoe silhouettes from that fashion era. The real raffia used in the Casey design reflects the texture of intricate baskets, and the patterns in straw hats and purses from the Brittany region. The striped leather-covered heel and bow are très Breton chic as well.
The secret behind the Casey shoe comfort is the customizable Dream Arch™ — each pair of Evelyn Ford Luxury shoes is fitted with invisible magnets, ready to click in an optional arch support. A brief quiz determines the size and height of the arch for the selected shoe. They give unparalleled support, taking the pressure off the forefoot and providing even pressure across the foot . . . even in heels.
Evelyn Ford Luxury designs are available online and at local special events listed on the website. Their price point reflects the craftsmanship that goes into every pair, their fine quality and their unique magnetic insole.
Why should women have to choose between ease and style? Evelyn Ford Luxury works on solving this long-standing wardrobe dilemma. As Coco Chanel has been credited with saying, “Luxury must be comfortable; otherwise, it is not luxury.”
Let the comfort begin.
To learn more, visit evelynford.luxury.
