Every shoe lover remembers their first favorite pair of shoes. For Doreen Odvina, they were sparkly gold shoes that she received from her mom at the tender age of five. Later on, she would trade that shiny pair for designer heels. But despite how beautiful they were, she found them way too uncomfortable.
This was why, after dedicating 15 years of her life to the corporate world, she decided to take a leap and become a shoe designer herself. With Shoepatos, Doreen is taking matters into her own hands by providing customers with bespoke footwear that not only looks gorgeous but also feels comfortable enough to wear all day long. It's no wonder she's become the go-to for brides and debutantes looking for heels that perfectly match their gowns without sacrificing comfort.
Who is Doreen Odvina?
Did you always know that you wanted to be a designer when you were younger? When did your interest in shoe-making start?
"My love for shoes started when I was very young. I think I was only five years old when I started to own pairs of shoes and sandals in gold and scintillating designs. My mom used to buy fancy and sparkling shoes for me. My preference in choosing shoe designs started from that.
"My interest in shoe-making design and manufacturing started when I owned luxury brand items. All of their collections are beautiful but painful. As a shoe lover who has very sensitive feet, I felt deprived that I was not able to use them for all-day wear without hurting my feet. So I created a brand to bridge the gap between style and comfort in footwear."
How would you personally describe your designs? What kind of person would be seen wearing them?
“My designs are known to be sparkly, luxurious, and maximalist. They are all premium pieces and very comfortable to wear. Doreen Odvina clients live a grandiose lifestyle. They are fashionable, and empowered, and they know how to take care of themselves.”
What are the main inspirations you pull from when creating your designs? Can you walk us through your thought process when designing?
“I take my inspirations from the luxurious things I see when traveling. I also observe couture gowns of influential fashion designers. I would often observe the amount of creativity they put on the embellishments of the gowns. I am in awe of the crystals and the way Indian bead works are executed.
My designs are also based on the client’s personality, where they will be used, and what outfit they will wear on their special day. Sometimes for couples, we make height corrections based on their height differences. We use the right heel heights and shapes to make sure it fits their preferred comfort.”
Is there one rule or value you always stick to when making your creations? What pushes you to keep pursuing your craft?
“We take comfort and quality seriously. All shoes we deliver go through thorough quality control. We ensure that all our clients are happy, that's why our booking retention rate is very high. We enjoy providing not only a beautiful pair of shoes but also outstanding customer service before and after sales.
This is my passion. I love what I do and it doesn’t feel like I’m working. I worked in the IT and E-Commerce industry for fifteen years and learned all the things about the corporate world. But this one is different. I feel that I retired even if I'm working.
Designing shoes feeds my soul. This is me. I express myself really well through shoe designing.”
Is there any message you’d want to give to budding young designers out there?
“To all the budding young designers, my advice for you is to try to find something that you really love—that you would do it for free. Then try to perfect that skill and think how you could earn from it. It will be very rewarding and it will never feel like you are working.”
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