Pound Ridge Shoe Designer Finds Perfect Fit

It would be fair to say that designer Gwen Frempong Boadu’s motto is, if the shoe doesn’t fit, make a bigger and better one. Boadu is the designing woman behind Gwyneth Shoes, a line of designer footwear that never puts a woman’s comfort second to style.

“I’m always observing people,”says Boadu, a Pound Ridge resident. “And in my years of modeling and then designing footwear, I noticed that tall women always wore awful shoes. I wanted to create something beautiful for women of all sizes.”

Boadu’s solution to the tall woman’s footwear problem was to create a collection that made sexy, couture shoes available to all women, not just those with feet under size nine. She brought her years of experience in the industry to the problem at hand—or foot, to be more precise.

“I started modeling shoes for Sam&Libby in college to make extra money,” explains Boadu. “After college, they hired me as a designer.” From there, Boadu went on to design for other major footwear collections like Kenneth Cole Reaction and Steven by Steve Madden, before branching out on her own.

“The Gwyneth woman is sophisticated and stylish,” says Boadu of her fans. “She’s usually a working woman, who knows what works for her. She’s confident, she knows exactly what she wants, and apart from looking great, she wants to be comfortable.”

Boadu places a high premium on comfort, something many shoe designers can tend to overlook. “I patented a soft cushion design, which makes the shoes very easy to wear,” says Boadu. “It’s hard to find comfortable high heels, let alone comfortable high heels in a size 11.”

Which is why women with larger feet seem to be sprinting to the Gwyneth line. “Our most popular size is size 12,” says Boadu.

Gwyneth shoes also debuted a line of bridal footwear last year, incorporating her signature comfort and style into the designs.

As for what’s hot right now, Boadu has those looks down, too. “Shoe trends are a little more interesting right now than they have been in a few years. There’s a lot of color blocking and texture happening.”

Boadu’s designs are available internationally, including through several local retailers. Visit the Gwyneth Shoes website for a full list of retailers. Maybe you’ll find just the shoe that really fits your style, and your foot.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Bedford and receive free news updates.