What do trendsetters like Tyra Banks, Debra Messing, Sanaa Lathan, Wendy Williams, Geena Davis, Sophia Bush, Queen Latifah, Rachel Bilson and Rihanna have in common? They’ve been spotted in Samanta Shoes.
Founder, designer and CEO of Samanta Shoes, Samanta Joseph, 34, is a Guyana native now living in the Bronx who claims every woman needs at least one great pair of shoes for the red carpet moments in their lives.
Apparently, women agree. Joseph’s business has skyrocketed since its inception in 2003 with not only celeb clients and billion dollar retail partners, but features on the “Today Show,” “The Wendy Williams Show” and in several magazines like Oprah Magazine, People, Marie Claire and InStyle.
Samanta Joseph
Joseph’s business secret? Making shoes for women who don’t have Barbie doll feet. Unlike most shoemakers, Joseph offers women’s sizes up to 14 and wide-width sizes.
“Women that wear larger shoe sizes desire current fashion trends and are frustrated by the lack of availability,” said Joseph. “This used to be a problem in the plus-size clothing market, which is now a multi-billion-dollar industry.”
Samanta Shoes won $100K as the top winner in the 2010 Mass Challenge, a competition featuring 446 companies from 26 countries. Another career highlight includes sharing the spotlight in 2006 as one of Inc. magazine’s 30 coolest entrepreneurs under the age of 30 with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
VIV PUMP
$174.90
SHANIKA
BLACK & WHITE
$199.95
COVINGTON
IVORY
$199.95
$299.95
$299.95
$299.95
