When did Barefoot Tess launch? What, if any, changes have
occurred since that time?
We launched Barefoot Tess in July of 2005 and since that summer we have made some great changes and have vastly expanded. For example, we have moved to a new platform, added reviews and new categories, started the Barefoot Tess blog, and have begun changing the colors of the site seasonally. We are currently working on getting feedback from customers for improvements in 2009. Essentially, our goal is to take this feedback and make even more changes in order to better serve our customers’ shopping needs.
When did you first start thinking about opening an online boutique? Did the idea occur and you jumped on it, or did it take some self-coaxing?
I first started thinking about launching my own online boutique in 2004. Prior to that I had practiced law for ten years and then started my own legal head hunting business in 1984, which I sold to an international company 20 years later. It was then that I decided to dive into the fashion industry. I took a risk and decided to put my fears aside and just do it. I haven’t looked back since.
Describe the frustration you felt for your daughter, in her quest to find shoes that fit her feet?
I share this struggle with Tess as do almost all of the mothers who come to us with daughters who have bigger feet. Of course, as a mother, you want your daughter to be happy and it was hard to see her get so depressed and lose her confidence over something as easy as shoe shopping. On Tess’s sixteenth birthday I sent her to New York City with her two older sisters and I told the girls that I didn’t care what it took or how much they spent, they needed to find her a pair of shoes that she liked for prom. After hours of shopping all over Manhattan they finally found something Tess loved for $250 dollars, which I was happy to pay when I heard how excited she was. I can’t tell you how many emails from mothers and even fathers we get thanking us profusely for helping their daughters find shoes.
Do all of the shoes on your site come in larger sizes, or do you work with the designers on selecting specific shoes to make available in those sizes?
Barefoot Tess works with designers to choose their most popular styles to be made into larger sizes exclusively for our site.
My guess is that you've helped and immeasurable amount of women-do you ever hear from any of those you've helped?
Yes we actually hear back from a lot of them! We have about 65 pages of testimonials that we have compiled over the years. A few months ago we heard from a woman who was struggling to find the perfect shoes for her wedding before she discovered the Barefoot Tess Bridal collection. She wrote to thank us for helping her find her wedding shoes and even sent us pictures from the ceremony and reception!
Could you tell us a little about your current day-to-day responsibilites?
I supervise every aspect of the business from marketing and buying to financing and tech. I am constantly looking for new partnership opportunities on the web and I check our site traffic frequently. I also travel around the country for various trade shows throughout the year in order to discover new brands, etc.
Any style's you're ready to wear for the summer?
Absolutely, I love the Chie Mihara sandals, the Bernardo Miami in purple, the Dolce Vita Dante in green, and all the summer styles by Blowfish and Matt Bernson! I am pretty much completely shoe obsessed at this point!
We launched Barefoot Tess in July of 2005 and since that summer we have made some great changes and have vastly expanded. For example, we have moved to a new platform, added reviews and new categories, started the Barefoot Tess blog, and have begun changing the colors of the site seasonally. We are currently working on getting feedback from customers for improvements in 2009. Essentially, our goal is to take this feedback and make even more changes in order to better serve our customers’ shopping needs.
When did you first start thinking about opening an online boutique? Did the idea occur and you jumped on it, or did it take some self-coaxing?
I first started thinking about launching my own online boutique in 2004. Prior to that I had practiced law for ten years and then started my own legal head hunting business in 1984, which I sold to an international company 20 years later. It was then that I decided to dive into the fashion industry. I took a risk and decided to put my fears aside and just do it. I haven’t looked back since.
Describe the frustration you felt for your daughter, in her quest to find shoes that fit her feet?
I share this struggle with Tess as do almost all of the mothers who come to us with daughters who have bigger feet. Of course, as a mother, you want your daughter to be happy and it was hard to see her get so depressed and lose her confidence over something as easy as shoe shopping. On Tess’s sixteenth birthday I sent her to New York City with her two older sisters and I told the girls that I didn’t care what it took or how much they spent, they needed to find her a pair of shoes that she liked for prom. After hours of shopping all over Manhattan they finally found something Tess loved for $250 dollars, which I was happy to pay when I heard how excited she was. I can’t tell you how many emails from mothers and even fathers we get thanking us profusely for helping their daughters find shoes.
Do all of the shoes on your site come in larger sizes, or do you work with the designers on selecting specific shoes to make available in those sizes?
Barefoot Tess works with designers to choose their most popular styles to be made into larger sizes exclusively for our site.
My guess is that you've helped and immeasurable amount of women-do you ever hear from any of those you've helped?
Yes we actually hear back from a lot of them! We have about 65 pages of testimonials that we have compiled over the years. A few months ago we heard from a woman who was struggling to find the perfect shoes for her wedding before she discovered the Barefoot Tess Bridal collection. She wrote to thank us for helping her find her wedding shoes and even sent us pictures from the ceremony and reception!
Could you tell us a little about your current day-to-day responsibilites?
I supervise every aspect of the business from marketing and buying to financing and tech. I am constantly looking for new partnership opportunities on the web and I check our site traffic frequently. I also travel around the country for various trade shows throughout the year in order to discover new brands, etc.
Any style's you're ready to wear for the summer?
Absolutely, I love the Chie Mihara sandals, the Bernardo Miami in purple, the Dolce Vita Dante in green, and all the summer styles by Blowfish and Matt Bernson! I am pretty much completely shoe obsessed at this point!
Q&A With Karen Williamson of Barefoot Tess
I'm the first to admit, I like most women, am
mildly shoe obsessed! It started when I was 8 and jelly
sandals were the "it" shoe. Although I might be a bit older,
each and every season, there's at least one new style I think I have
to have. Imagine however, trying on all of your favorite
styles, to no avail-not because you didn't like them, but because
your feet were too big for them. Imagine going through that
during your teenage years, when trends play such a big role in
everyday lives.
So began the existence of Barefoot Tess. Karen Williamson owner and creator of the online shoe boutique felt firsthand what it was like to not have those killer shoes other girls were having their feet graced by. She knew because her daughter, Tess, with a size 11 foot, struggled for years with the simple capability to try on a great pair of shoes and have them actually fit. With Barefoot Tess, women of all shoe sizes can go online and find their perfect pair-stilettos or boots, flats or peep toes all from top designers and brands like Steve Madden and Loeffler Randall!
Again, Barefoot Tess makes it easy for women of ALL sizes and makes it easy to shop-browse by size, style, price, or designer. Learn more about Karen and Barefoot Tess by reading our Q&A below:
I'm the first to admit, I like most women, am
mildly shoe obsessed! It started when I was 8 and jelly
sandals were the "it" shoe. Although I might be a bit older,
each and every season, there's at least one new style I think I have
to have. Imagine however, trying on all of your favorite
styles, to no avail-not because you didn't like them, but because
your feet were too big for them. Imagine going through that
during your teenage years, when trends play such a big role in
everyday lives.So began the existence of Barefoot Tess. Karen Williamson owner and creator of the online shoe boutique felt firsthand what it was like to not have those killer shoes other girls were having their feet graced by. She knew because her daughter, Tess, with a size 11 foot, struggled for years with the simple capability to try on a great pair of shoes and have them actually fit. With Barefoot Tess, women of all shoe sizes can go online and find their perfect pair-stilettos or boots, flats or peep toes all from top designers and brands like Steve Madden and Loeffler Randall!
Again, Barefoot Tess makes it easy for women of ALL sizes and makes it easy to shop-browse by size, style, price, or designer. Learn more about Karen and Barefoot Tess by reading our Q&A below:
Q&A with 24-7 Style
Want to be interviewed by 24-7 Style? Email us!
Want to be interviewed by 24-7 Style? Email us!