A podiatric surgeon turned shoe designer
According to Marion Parke, the maxim “beauty is pain” definitely doesn’t need to apply to shoes. While studying to become a podiatric surgeon, Parke had an idea: “I was learning how to treat people who have naturally high arches, and it occurred to me that some of these problems—a tendency to walk on the outside edge of the foot (which leads to ankle fatigue, instability, and sprains), tight calf muscles, and focal pain in the heel and certain toes—were the same ones that women encounter in high heels.”
Close to a decade later, with a residency and a few years of surgical practice under her belt, Parke noticed that conversations with patients often turned to footwear. “So many people would say to me, ‘you should go on the news and tell people what to look for when shopping for shoes,’” she recalls. So, she revisited the kernel of an idea from years past, and Marion Parke, the shoe line, was born. Instead of marketing her brand as a “comfort” collection, she prioritizes “wearability” and high fashion.
Parke talked to Furthermore about navigating very different industries, creating chic, easy-to-wear shoes, and being empowered by her children (ages two and five, with a third on the way).