On one of my many walks to my previous company's HQ, and always wearing the one pair of shoes that could get me thru a full day and night (despite having so many others that were cute but not comfy at all!), I started to dream of a better way. A way that would keep me more present to what I was actually doing, where I was going, and not on how much pain I was in from my shoes (or wondering if I could actually attend all the functions I needed to in one day!).
I knew I wasn't alone, and knew that this was a problem all of us who love beautiful shoes were having.
So I created the SoftSurround System and all of the shoe styles here, for all of us.
I'm so glad we've now found each other, and that you're here! We have a lot more in store for all of you, and if you have any questions for us, or things you'd love to see, let us know!
- Antonia Saint Dunbar - Co-Founder/Chief of Design
Background: Antonia Saint Dunbar creates solutions for women and others who need them, and most often, products that are in industries dominated by men with minimal innovation. For the first company she co-founded called THINX,* she led the design and wrote the patent for the period-proof underwear, while also doing all operations of the company as COO for many years.
The idea for Antonia Saint NY came when walking to the THINX HQ in New York City and feeling pain in her feet from her shoes. Similar to when she was working on creating THINX, it was her father’s DNA as an industrial designer that came alive inside of her. She started to think of all the ways she would like to change the shoe to make it a better functional product that was still beautiful, and one that actually served women well instead of only looking pretty.
After introducing the new design with a market test via crowdfunding in 2017, thousands of people came together from around the world to help bring the shoes to life, raising $2.1Million within 90 days, making the project one of the top 100 most funded of all time.
Called a “Feminist Genius” by the press, and nominated to Women 2.0’s “Top Founders to Watch,” Antonia has been singularly focused on the women's shoe industry to create products that address both form, and function.
*Fun facts for THINX: THINX became #17 on the Inc 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S., CNBC’s “Most Creative Companies of 2018”, TIME Magazine's “Top 25 Best Inventions,” Entrepreneur's “Top 100 Most Brilliant Companies”, and Fast Company's “Top 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World”.
Antonia Saint NY
That's why we make essential, classic shoe silhouettes that feel like sneakers on the inside, so you can keep 100% of your mind present to your life, and focused on fulfilling your dreams.
Focus + Planet Care
We are doing our part by:
1) Working with more sustainable, long-lasting materials and construction, and we will always be seeking the best materials and innovations in this space.
2) Focusing on product longevity so that we can make fewer, better things, to provide everyone with solutions they need that will be with them for years to come.
3) Pursuing production methods that will be gentler to the earth, and create less of a carbon footprint.
4) Working to be carbon neutral in whatever ways we can.
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