ABC
Entrepreneur Haley Pavone took her company, Pashion Footwear, to the Sharks on ABC’s Shark Tank to see if she could get an investor to make a deal and invest in her company.
The entrepreneur presented their company to Sharks Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary and Guest Shark Kendra Scott.
According to the episode synopsis, the entrepreneur “tries to solve an age-old problem for women: wearing high heels that are sexy and comfortable.”
Here’s what you should know about Pashion Footwear on Shark Tank:
1. One Shoe Can Be Worn Multiple Ways
The idea behind Pashion Footwear is to allow customers to have more styles of shoe for less money than they would normally spend, according to the company website.
“With multiple heels that can be paired with any convertible shoe, you’ve got endless combinations to choose from,” the website reads.
The shoes can be purchased with extra heels, and those heels can be switched out in order to make the shoe have a different style, from flat to stiletto.
2. The Founder Didn’t Want Women to Sacrifice Comfort For Style
According to the company website, Pavone didn’t want women to have to sacrifice comfort for style when it came to their footwear.
“The women of today are hustling…we’ve got careers, social lives, families, travel – you name it, we’re doing it all,” she shares on the site. “The last thing we should be worrying about is if we will regret our footwear choice a few hours into the day.”
The statement says that traditional heels are outdated and “completely disregard the daily life of real women.”
3. The Name Is a Mix of Fashion and Practical
The Pashion Footwear website states that the name came from a fusion of two words.
“Convertible heels… can and WILL keep up with you, wherever you’re headed,” the website reads. “Practical + Fashion = Pashion… that is the core of what we stand for.”
The shoe was created after the creator spent time in her bare feet while on a date in college. thought about how many women have to walk far for their commute each day, according to Forbes. The shoes are also convenient for events like weddings.
“Unfortunately, this time around [the night] ended with me getting impaled through the foot by another woman’s spike stiletto,” she told the outlet. “As I sat there unimpaling myself, I looked around and realized eighty percent of the other women at this event were also dancing barefoot.”
She said that she knew it was ridiculous and wanted to fix the problem.
4. Pavone Founded Pashion Footwear as a Sophomore in College
According to Forbes, Pavone founded Pashion Footwear during her sophomore year of college. In 2020, Pavone had already raised nearly $3 million in venture capital and Angel funding to keep the company afloat.
By January 2020, she had already shipped out four runs of the shoes, Forbes reported.
Pavone had declared a business entrepreneurship major at California Polytechnic State University, and she was definitely putting that to use before her college career had even ended.
5. Pavone Had Been Eyeing ‘Shark Tank’ For a Long Time
According to the interview with Forbes, Pavone knew her company was a good fit for Shark Tank before she even applied for the show.
“I can’t help but think our product would be a perfect fit for Shark Tank,” she said at the time. “Especially now that Sara Blakely, my all-time role model as a female fashion entrepreneur, has started to regularly join the investor panel. Being able to get her insights would be a dream come true… so this definitely could be a future step for Pashion.”
She didn’t get a chance to pitch to Blakely, but she did get a chance to pitch to the rest of the Sharks. Tune in to see if Pavone gets a deal from one of them.
READ NEXT: The Pizza Cupcake on ‘Shark Tank’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know