Don't Tell Me I Can't… Invent Comfortable High Heels!

Shaherazad Umbreen took a big step when she started her own footwear line

- Kristina Beanland & Rebecca Wright

As I sat at my desk, my to-do list growing longer, I refused to feel overwhelmed. I was about to launch my own business. Unlike many young entrepreneurs who have nothing to lose, I was approaching my 40th birthday, and everything was about to change…

If you’d told me when I was a teenager that I’d start my own shoe business, I’d have scoffed. Back then, I hated high heels. As far as I was concerned, it seemed silly to risk blisters and backache, all for fashion.

Only then, aged 18, I got a job in an electrical store. When I walkedin on my first day, my heart sank. All my female colleagues were wearing high heels. I didn’t want to look unprofessional, so I swapped my trainers for heels.