Shopify Masters How a College Injury Sparked an 8-Figure Shoe Startup
Nov 6, 2025
Haley Pavone, Founder of Pashion Footwear, transformed a college injury into a thriving convertible shoe brand. She shares how her innovative idea took shape from early prototyping to partnering with footwear experts. Haley discusses navigating the challenges of rapid growth, the impact of COVID-19 on her strategy, and the success of using TikTok for marketing. She emphasizes the importance of resilience, overcoming imposter syndrome, and entrepreneurship's long-term journey, especially for women in business.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Injury Sparked The Idea
- Haley Pavone's convertible-heel idea started after a sorority dance where she went barefoot and was severely injured by a stiletto.
- That painful incident sparked her mission to create a high heel that converts to a comfortable flat.
Removable Shank Is The Breakthrough
- Haley discovered high heels use a compressed wooden midsole reinforced by a metal shank, which blocks a true flat conversion.
- The key innovation was making the sole support removable so the heel can function as both a real heel and a real flat.
College Prototyping To Graduation Reveal
- Haley used university engineering labs and 3D printing to iterate prototypes and won entrepreneurship competitions to fund development.
- She raised $450K in seed funding and received production-ready shoes the night before her college graduation.