There is an artistry to walking. It’s a personality. The way in which people walk, describes a personal, fashionable movement through a given time and space. Couple that with the fashion industry, and a person has visual insight into the world of shoes; their ability to color any space. How we walk is also cultural. Our heritage, ethnicity, and familial ties are connected in walking. To walk is more than a natural act. Walking is also a fashionable herstory book; and all the secrets of interior’s decor.
Shoes add a zesty attitude to a person’s feet. They carry an individual from place to place, point to point, and space to space, collecting different stories of the day. When it comes to the world of womanhood, there is a heightened sense of femininity. Whether they be high heels, short heels, or flats, it’s the shoes, which seals the final deal on a woman’s fashionable essence, through any attire of her choosing.
So often, women with large ankles, and large feet, are viewed as “less fashionable,” than their “average” counterparts. The sense of feeling “less than a woman,” or dressing down, has impacted the ability for larger and taller women to fully showcase their vibrant personality. If you are a large woman, have you ever felt blocked in wearing the shoes, which makes your inner fashionista come to life? For one determined businesswoman, a perfect solution came to mind. Big ankles? No problem. Large feet? A small feat. Enter the world of, Vaila Shoes.
Founded by businesswoman and CEO, Ahriana Edwards, Vaila Shoes is a special world, where large and tall women can demonstrate just how fashionable their walk can be. Born and reared in Charlotte, North Carolina, Edwards highlights her personal testimony in creating Vaila Shoes. What began as a journey in middle school, where she was seen as the “big, awkward girl, with big feet,” transformed into finding a way that large women, with large feet would receive love from fashion, too!
“All I wanted to do is be girly. I just wanted to be very feminine. . .That was stripped from me for a couple of years because I didn’t have access to feminine shoes, or shoes that were cute for my age.”
For Ahriana Edwards, access for dresses and accessories was never a problem for large girls in the fashion world. Yet, the shoes. . .oh the shoes! If only girls with larger calves and ankles could find the right shoes to wear. In finding the right shoes, Edwards found herself starting the company in May 2020. Fast forward roughly two years later, Vaila Shoes was officially launched in March 2022.
“I was studying to be a business owner;
just didn’t quite know what that business
would be. However, I didn’t have a fashion
background. Fashion is one of those
industries, where you have to know
somebody to really get plugged in, states
Edwards.”
The Charlotte native’s persistence has indeed paid off. Currently, she is one of the youngest Black women (Black American) to have an official partnership with Macy’s. Vaila Shoes can be purchased in Macy’s Time Square (NYC), Fashion Center (Pentagon City in Washington D.C.), Cumberland Mall, Lenox Mall, and Stonecrest Mall in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course, there’s also the online option at Macy’s.com. Some of the most popular shoes from the collection include the Rosaline Flat (which includes the embellishment strap), Valencia, and Michelle (in honor of First Lady Michelle Obama).
A memory’s return to the not so distant past addresses a personal issue, which would later inspire a brand, where big and tall girls, could also feel part of fashion’s shoe world.
“In middle school, I’ve always been that
tall, kind of awkward girl; big feet.
Everyone’s asked if I played basketball.
All I wanted to do was just be girly. I just
wanted to be very feminine. And, I think
that one of the reasons behind the brand
of Vaila is tagline of take your feminine
power back because I feel like for me, that
was stripped from me for a couple of
years because I didn’t have access to
feminine shoes. . .seeing myself diminish
my fashion expression because I didn’t
see representation of plus-size shoes on
the market for me.”
Like many individuals, Ahriana Edwards took the opportunity, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to put her plan to work. Attempts to re-decorate her wardrobe, further opened her eyes to challenges, that women of a certain size face daily.
“I could find the dress suits, the accessories, but I could still never find those dress shoes, and that was one of the reasons for me creating Vaila because we could find sneakers. We could find something general, but when it came to handle business or to show up as a boss woman, that I felt like I was to be confident, I’ve never had that. And so, I created Vaila to give ladies like me availability, which is where the name came from.”
Now, with Vaila Shoes, those taller, and larger dames, can show off their feminine footwear. In addition to being suitable for the workplace, Vaila Shoes brings a touch of normalcy to those larger-sized women.
“Our style is very much based on versatility. So, it’s very much for the workplace and after hours. . .things to wear in the workplace and then go out to a drink with your girls, or handle a corporate dinner. You know, anything classy because it’s made for that woman on the go, who just happens to have larger feet.”
As Vaila’s Shoes continue to make their expansion into the shoe market, the Black American, Southern Lady has not forgotten the impact of her Carolina roots. The pace and speed for the city of Charlotte gives this businesswoman much inspiration for the creation of this innovative shoe line. How people walk is in a manner, that is not too fast and not too slow. Its a medium that is, just right! Having observed the walking pace of her mother, and other Black American women around her-the key theme has always been one word: purpose.
“My family has always been on the go. They always walked with a purpose. It’s funny because now it relates to how I wanted Vaila to give purpose to the girls.”
The cool breeze, fresh-cut grass, chirping of crickets, and the birds drinking from bird wells are subtle reminders of those Charlotte walks designed the very existence of, Vaila Shoes! Just think that it was all for larger, and taller, girls to receive feminine, friendly, and fashionable love, too!
For more information on Vaila Shoes, you may go to the link, below:
https://www.vailashoes.com/
