More Than Just Buying Shoes - A Note From Katie

When people ask me how I choose the collections for Sissa Sorella, they often imagine it's simply a matter of going around to trade shows and picking beautiful shoes.

And while I'll happily admit that choosing beautiful shoes is part of the fun, it's actually one of the smallest parts of the process. By the time a new collection arrives in store, I've usually been working on it for close to a year.

Buying season is one of my favourite times of the year. It's busy, and there's certainly plenty of spreadsheets, catalogues and showroom appointments involved, but it's also when I get to step back and think about everything our beautiful customers have shared with us over the past year. By the time I'm sitting down to view a new collection, I'm carrying hundreds of conversations, thoughts and ideas with me.

My buying trips involve travel, supplier meetings, trend forecasting, reviewing previous seasons and looking at what women are asking for now. But they're also an opportunity to reflect on what we've learnt. Which styles became favourites? Which ones surprised us? What did our customers love, and where could we do better?

One thing experience has taught me is that you can never assume what the best collection will be before you walk through the showroom door. Sometimes it's the brand you weren't expecting that completely surprises you. Other times, a label I've stocked for years might not feel quite right for the season. I think that's important because my loyalty has always been to our customers first, not to buying the same brands year after year. Keeping an open mind means every decision is based on what's genuinely right for the women who shop with us.

Which means that the biggest influence on every collection isn't fashion, it's the women who walk through our doors.

What surprises me is how often those conversations come back to me while I'm buying. I might be looking at a beautiful loafer and immediately think of someone who spent half an hour trying to find something smart enough for work but comfortable enough to stay on all day. Or I'll see a sandal and remember the customer heading overseas who wanted one reliable pair she could wear from morning until night.

I think about the women searching for something special for a wedding or a milestone celebration, the customer who tell us they can no longer wear high heels, and the ones who still ask if we can get back a favourite style from years ago because they've worn theirs so often.

Those conversations stay with me far longer than people probably realise, and they genuinely influence what ends up in the collection.

That's why I don't build a collection around one trend in particular. I'm trying to create a balanced range that works for different lifestyles and occasions. Every season is carefully curated so the styles, heel heights, colours, textures and price points work together, while still offering something a little unexpected and unique to Sissa Sorella.

Of course, there's also a practical side to every buying decision. Beautiful shoes still have to perform well. I spend a lot of time considering the fit, leather quality, flexibility, heel stability, manufacturing consistency, freight timing and whether each style genuinely represents the quality and aesthetic we've become known for at Sissa Sorella.

Many of the brands we work with come from small family-owned factories, which I love, particularly in Spain, but also Italy, Germany and elsewhere throughout Europe. Over the years I've built wonderful relationships with many of these makers and the agents who represent them. Those relationships allow for honest conversations about quality, finishes, colour selections and, occasionally, even exclusive styles developed especially for Sissa Sorella.

Of course, there are plenty of shoes that don't make the final collection. Sometimes a style is beautiful but simply isn't practical enough. Sometimes the fit isn't consistent, or the quality doesn't match the price. And sometimes I know that while something looks incredible under showroom lights, it won't translate into the way our customers actually live.

Then every so often there's a style that immediately feels right.

I can picture exactly who'll wear it. I know the gap it fills in the collection, and I can imagine it becoming one of those pairs that customers come back for season after season. Those moments are always exciting because they remind me that buying isn't really about following fashion. It's about choosing pieces that women will genuinely enjoy wearing.

By the time a collection finally arrives in store, it's been thoughtfully considered, edited and refined many times over. Every pair has had lots of attention!

After all these years, what I enjoy most isn't simply finding beautiful shoes, it's watching someone find their shoes. The pair that makes them smile, stand a little taller and leave the store feeling just that little bit more like themselves.

One of the greatest joys has been seeing so many familiar faces return season after season. Over time, those relationships have grown into something much more than a shoe store. They've become the Sissahood, a wonderful community of women brought together by a love of beautiful shoes, quality craftsmanship and the simple pleasure of finding something that feels just right.

I feel incredibly lucky to be part of that. Who would have thought that a love of shoes could bring so many wonderful women together?! That's the part of this job I'll love forever. 

Yours in Shoe Love, Katie xo