Women may never have to hobble home barefoot after a night out in high heels ever again if Ryerson University grad Hailey Coleman gets her way.
Coleman scored a $50,000 deal with Arlene Dickinson on the CBC show Dragon’s Den for her invention, which she called Damn Heels.
“Damn Heels are sexy, fold-up ballerina style flats that come tucked into an expandable bag to save women from their beloved damn heels,” Coleman explained in an email.
The flats are designed in such a way that the rubber soles are thick enough to allow them to be worn outside, but are thin enough to make the product compact and lightweight.
“I originally asked for $25,000 for 33 per cent share of the company, and I left instead with $50,000 from Arlene Dickinson, but for five per cent royalties,” Coleman said.
“I was very happy with this deal because I wasn’t giving away ownership, and with a royalty agreement it was obvious that Arlene believed in the product and idea,” she said.
Coleman said she came up with the idea after a post-party walk home in London convinced her that “walking the streets home barefoot was a faux pas that could and needed to be prevented.”
“We women have all been in the same situation: we are absolutely desperate to remove our beloved high heels or new shoes in exchange for a more comfortable alternative to get us through the rest of the night or until we get home,” said Julie Katona, who sells Damn Heels out of her Ottawa home studio, in an email.
Solape Ogunsaya, a first-year biology student at Carleton University, said she felt the same way. “I always carry flats around with me [when I wear heels], because after a while it does start to hurt,” said Ogunsaya. “Most girls, we wear heels to feel good, but when we start dancing we take the heels off,” she said.
Fifty grand wasn’t the only thing Coleman got from her appearance in Dragon’s Den.
“We’ve been inundated with orders since the airing of the [Dragon’s Den] episode,” Coleman said.
A second Ottawa retailer, Your Choice Boutique on Montreal Road, heard of the product after the episode aired, according to Brenda Dagg Monette, manager of the boutique.
“I thought it was a perfect fit for my customers,” Dagg Monette said.
“When I discovered Damn Heels and the obvious need for women to have a portable second pair of comfortable shoes in their purse, to me, the decision to carry Damn Heels was a no-brainer,” said Katona, who had started selling the flats earlier this year.
Damn Heels has been received very well in Ottawa, Dagg Monette said.
“I’ve already had to re-order,” she added, also mentioning that the store had just started selling the flats Oct. 12.
“As long as women are wearing high heels, I’ll be selling Damn Heels,” Katona said.