Thursday, July 29, 2010

oh so stylish scarpasa


lower your heels, not your expectations

We are addicted to shoes; addicted as in we may need shoe rehab. We now have something knew to be obsessed over - Scarpasa. For the days where you don't want to wear 4 inch heels - this is the place for you. No longer do you have to suffer immensely and have blisters the next day to remind you. Buying stylish shoes is important to active women who just don't stop living life all day long - running around, working, chasing after littles....but you don't have to do it in painful heels. That's were Scarpasa comes in --- created for those crazy busy women like us who love to be oh so chic but don't want to change into flip-flops half way through the day. They find uber-stylish quality flats and low and mid-heeled shoes from independent designers.





{1} Audrey Hepburn Chic - Pair these Margit Hippie Kid ($215) flats with cigarette pants and a nautical top for the summer. {2} Boho meets Cowgirl - Bring city chic to the country or country chic to the city in Alberto Fermani ($415) {3} Perfect POP of Color - MUST-HAVE uber-comfy Milly Mietta ($260) gives you the perfect little bit of height.



Where did the idea of Scarpasa come from?

I love shoes, but stopped wearing high heels a long time ago because I hated having to go home early from an event or cut time short with friends because my feet hurt from high heel wear. I also love walking and found that it was hard to do in higher heels. Being a non-high heel wearer, I was struggling to find cute shoes to wear, particularly because I did not want to wear comfort-focused brands, which aren’t always that stylish. Cute shoes in lower heels were just not that prevalent, so I came up with the idea of starting a boutique full of stylish flats, low and mid-heel shoes.

What inspired you to start the site?

I always wanted to start Scarpasa, but it wasn’t until business school that I realized that I would rather start this than do any other job. Yes, it may be a bit of a niche market, but it is a niche that is still unfulfilled.

What's behind the name?

“Scarpasa” is a name derived from the word “scarpa,” which means “shoe” in Italian. While the name is not a pre-existing word, it highlights the quality of the shoes and brings attention to the international nature of many of the brands we carry.

Who influences the styles chosen - do they reflect your personal style?

I’m sure they reflect my personal style to an extent, but we are trying to buy shoes that will appeal to our customer base, rather than just me. And with every style we carry we take into account the heel height, sturdiness of the shank, the stability of the heel – characteristics that generally make shoes better to walk in. We also try to get a range of different styles and types of shoes to provide variety. While we definitely take into account trends, we want to make sure we carry shoes that will stand the test of time and that are versatile.

What's up next for Scarpasa?

We’re still a fairly new site, so right now we are focusing on honing in on what people do and don’t want. We love feedback and are constantly trying to improve our products and services.
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This is definitely a site worth browsing around so head over to Scarpasa now and make sure you follow them on Twitter and LOVE them on Facebook. And also don't forget to stay-up-to-date on their blog too!