The shoe brand answers the prayers executives and business travelers who regularly spend long days in dazzling high-heeled shoes
Not all fancy heels are up to the task of the Stiletto Dash—that mad dash to a departing flight with just minutes to spare before takeoff. But one high fashion footwear entrant is.
Elizée Shoes, the brainchild of former Silicon Valley tech company CEO, Erika Carrero, is answering the prayers of many a female executive and business traveler who regularly must spend 12-hour days in a dazzling high-heeled shoe. Elizée’s styles can compete with the best of the Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks of the world—but with a twist. These stunners banish the pain andpack a lot more range.
Carrero found herself on the road for many years, flying all over the world to put companies together, manage the staffing, handle the merging and more—all in shoes that answered the call for beauty but not for comfort.
“I loved living life in heels, and dressing smartly was a must,” says Carrero. “I wanted to wear heels, and it was just a never-ending search for a beautiful shoe that wouldn’t make me feel pain at the end of the day. So I decided it was time to create one.”
After years of research that included time with podiatrists, top foot fashion executives and even learning under guidance from the cobbler that made footwear for the Queen of England, Carrero released her first line of Elizée Shoes in 2021. Her fans are now fashionistas, brides to be, businesswomen from sales execs to CEOs, and even some celebrities (Brooke Shields and Kathy Ireland among them).
While Elizée shoes might be the “it” choice for high-end footwear on looks alone, for many women the high style design is just a bonus that complements the relief and comfort they offer. The shoes are designed with a unique insole—the Plush Contour Insole—that is the signature innovation of the brand. The tri-layer, customized protection uses high-density memory foam that molds to the foot and cradles it in comfort. Elizée designs use high-quality Italian leather with intelligent construction to ensure there are no rough spots while giving plenty of room for expansion and accommodating unique foot shapes.
It’s the look of some of the world’s top luxury shoe designs, says Carrero, but these shoes were not designed by men. They were designed by a woman with a woman’s needs and sensibilities in mind.
“We always assumed that the pain was the price we had to pay for beauty,” she adds. “It just does not have to be that way.”
For now, Elizée offers 14 footwear styles that come with names like Brigitte, Aria and Frecia in a variety of heel designs and dimensions that can dress up a pair of jeans as easily as they might a sequined wedding gown. The precious items are sold online and in a steadily growing portfolio of retail outlets, including a dedicated outlet in the Bay Area. Pop-ups and trunk parties are noted on prominent social media channels as these small batch gems that are hand-hewn in Tuscany ramp up in inventory and popularity.
When she’s not creating and overseeing the design and quality of these products, Carrero is wearing them. You will find her on the road and traveling in total comfort, whether to C-suite meetings or industry events to keynote on stage about finance, fashion and how to do—and have—it all. elizeeshoes.com