Made in NYC Company of the Month - March 2011

Alice Alan

From an Elmhurst workshop, comfort shoes that don't hurt the eyes

"You have your brains in your head. You have your feet in your shoes." - Dr. Seuss

Working in design and sales for American Express had its benefits for Alice Chen, but comfy feet was not one of them. High heels were a standard part of Chen’s business attire, and eventually took their toll: Chen started experiencing problems with her feet. Her podiatrist recommended that she begin wearing orthotics, and referred her to stores carrying shoes that were good for your feet, but were, for lack of a better word, ugly. It suddenly came to Chen: What if she took the insole out from the horrendous-looking orthotic shoes and built a more beautiful design around it? She realized there was a market for stylish shoes that were not only fabulously chic, but also offered the benefits of a comfortable insole and provided good support for the feet, joints, knees, and back.

Chen decided that since no one else was making such shoes, that she would do it herself. She founded Alice Alan Shoes, which does all of its manufacturing in New York City and currently offers four basic styles and a total of 13 variations. All have luxurious fabrication and attention to detail, and offer a sleek silhouette.

 
But first, Chen had to learn the business from the ground up. She studied pattern-making with Emily Putterman, who teaches at Pratt Institute, and began building a network of contacts who could help her learn how shoes were actually made. Finally, she sought out shoe producers who could make prototypes from her designs. Her quest for a comfortable shoe took her to New York City shoe manufacturers who grew up in the shoe making trade, from whom she learned key points of craftsmanship.

Eventually, she began developing short term contracts with shoe manufacturers she found in Midtown and put together a functioning production line, on which hand-stitching and manual leather-cutting are standard techniques. Chen eventually decided to partner with these manufacturers and help them create their own firm; she agreed to contract with them to use them as the sole manufacturer of Alice Alan shoes and continues to work with them until this very day.

The orthotics tucked inside each pair of Alice Alan shoes come from Northwest Podiatric Laboratory, which collaborates with Chen on the design of her footwear. The full-length inserts are removable, so a customer can work with her doctor and orthotic maker in order to design a tailored solution to her problem. In fact, 20 percent of buyers are referred to Alice Alan by health care professionals—podiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists. The other 80 percent are simply looking for shoes that feel and look good; they hear about Alice Alan by word-of-mouth or by reading about recent press on the company.

Chen says she keeps her manufacturing in New York City because it gives her full control over the process and allows her to respond quickly to seasonal demand for specific colors and styles. Chen also purchases her raw materials locally, to ensure the quality and availability of leather as it’s needed.

Chen does not sell through stores – yet, her most important sales opportunities are custom-fit parties where women gather to try on shoes and drink champagne. Currently, Chen works out of her West Side apartment and her small production site in Elmhurst, Queens. She aspires to rent a space where she can host her parties and manufacture her shoes in the same location – for men as well as women.
 

P.O. Box 20398
Columbus Circle Station
New York, NY 10023
Phone: 626-202-3830
Fax: 212-957-9053
www.alicealan.com