Today we’d like to introduce you to Susana Cabrera McKinlay.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Three years ago I went to Mexico to visit my then 87-year-old grandma (she is 90 now and fabulous) for our annual girls trip with my Mom. I grew up in San Antonio, Texas my whole life but my parents are from Guadalajara and every year my mom takes me on a trip to learn more about my roots.
As we walked the beautiful cobblestone streets with my grandmother, my feet started to really hurt and my grandmother scolded me for wearing cheap shoes (I couldn’t pass up the Nordstrom rack deal of $30 wedges.. I quickly learned why they had been on sale) and told me to please take care of my feet. So I asked her then grandma what should I wear instead? She answered Huaraches. I had no idea what a huarache was, so we went to the local market and had an artisan hand weave a pair for me and my grandmother. I quickly changed out of my cheap wedges and it felt like walking on a could!
By the end of the day, we were sitting at a plaza and I decided to take an artsy pic of my new shoes with the Mexican backgrounded. I uploaded it on Instagram and went to meet my aunt and uncle for dinner, they began to tell us that their girls home that they founded called Casa Kamami was struggling. They didn’t have the funds to accept more girls and when I started hearing about the cases of young girls that had been physically abused and had nowhere to go, I felt the need to help. But how? Later on, logged on to my Instagram and was surprised to see over 100 likes on my artsy picture and comments from my American friends saying “Bring me back a pair of huaraches please, I love those shoes!” I thought wow my American friends have worn these shoes and love them? I just learned about them myself, so I was impressed.
Thats when I had the lightbulb moment of why not buy some huaraches and sell them in the U.S to raise funds for the girls home my aunt and uncle started. I came home and couldn’t shake the idea- my husband loved it and jumped on board! We went back to Mexico a month later and began interviewing artisans and laying out some of our own designs and colors. We chose to practice fair trade and employ mainly single mothers who could really use the job. Six months later we received our first 500 pairs and sold out at our holiday show! Thats when we knew we wanted to keep the business going, not just as a one time fundraiser but as a brand that can really make a difference in these women and young girls lives.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No- Shipping was a nightmare! Working with local companies in Mexico often meant we received damaged goods and they would raise their price and hold our shipments until we agreed to the new price. Thankfully we have resolved this. Also forecasting on sizing is difficult and keeping enough inventory on hand. We often sell out of new styles and since everything is handmade- it takes time to restock. We are lucky our customers have been so patient and rather buy handmade over machine made.
Fiesta Feet – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Fiesta Feet is not just your traditional huaraches, we added a twist to each design. Comfort is our priority and we pride ourselves on purchasing the highest quality leather and soles. I am proud to work side by side with my artisans to bring the most innovative huaraches in the market and to use the same techniques used to make a huarache is used to make our wedges and even boots! Our designs really set us apart and practicing fair trade with our artisans while giving back to the girls home is what keeps us going.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
A couple of years ago, we visited the girls home and spent a weekend with them. The girls talked to me about how much they enjoy going to their karate classes, school and grateful to receive basic necessities. I asked them what do they miss sometime or wish they had- they replied birthday presents! Anyone that knows me knows I go ALL OUT on my birthday so we designed a shoe called Piñata Party and all the proceeds to that style go to their birthday fund.
Pricing:
- Our huaraches start at $69 and we are issuing a coupon code called “VOYAGE” for free shipping
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Fiestafeet.com
- Email: Susana@fiestafeet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiestafeet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiestafeet
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