It’s no surprise that the airline and travel industry was one of the most heavily affected industries during the COVID-19 pandemic with over $328 billion in worldwide revenue lost and over one-third of its direct pre-COVID workforce being cut.
However, for Perth-based stewardess turned entrepreneur Louise Matson, she saw an opportunity to propel her startup Louise M Shoes to a greater market.
Established in 2013, Louise set herself a mission of creating a ladies’ work shoe that “every shoe women would love to wear” – one that focused on functionality, fashion and femininity. Being a flight attendant for almost 17 years, finding the right shoe was hard to find, as she could be on her feet for more than 12 hours at a time.
Since inception, her shoes have found their way to the closets of prominent business women, such as ‘Shark’ Naomi Simson, founder of RedBalloon and co-founder of Big Red Group who told Mark Bouris from The Mentor that she can do “50,000 steps in Louise M shoes”.
Her journey has been long, but worth it.
I searched the world for these shoes. I travelled to europe to attend shoe fairs, hand selected shoes and the latest designs to form a collection. Through this process I found a wonderful manufacturer to develop ‘Louise M’ and now directly work with (their) factory in tuscany to ensure our shoes meet the needs of our customers.
Louise Matson, Founder of Louise M Shoes.
What sets Louise M apart?
Louise’s shoes are her love letter to women who want long-lasting, comfortable and luxury all-in-one classic court style shoes. With her shoes, Louise addresses three pain points that affect women’s heels, which are:
- Cost: Luxury shoes can be expensive for most but because Louise M is direct-to-consumer, the brand is able to reduce the price to a half or a third of equivalent Italian-made luxury shoes.
- Comfort: Louise M shoes are not mass produced. Every component has been hand selected by Louise and quality checks ensure that these shoes keep their promise of comfort.
- Versatile: Rain or shine, winter or summer – these shoes are all-season throughout the year.
Louise also noted that if you have a particular style in a colour you want, you are welcome to have shoes made for you. A funeral director in Queensland contacted Louise M to have shoes made for her entire team, and now has amassed a small collection for herself in various styles and colours.
While LouiseM Shoes started out selling her shoes to cabin crews, she is now ready to expand to cater to a greater market and is her current mission for all women to know and wear Louise M Shoes.
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When shopping for your next pair of heels, consider Louise M and shop online. If you’re looking for a more personalised shoe or have any enquries, send her an e-mail.
Meet Louise at her next Shoes and Champagne event, tickets available on Eventbrite.
