As artists Kira Bundlie and Lisa Ström found their day jobs and unreliable freelance projects stifling, they did what any suppressed artistic person would do: find something to release their creativity on, which, luckily for us, ended up being shoes.
Kira and Lisa and their all-women team of amazingly talented Seattle artists in Hourglass Footwear hand-paint their unique artwork straight onto shoes. The outcome is wearable art that we didn’t even know we wanted. Bollywood-style sari pumps, quirky platforms partitioned as meat cuts, and hipster-y Sriracha stilettos? Find your way into our shoe closets now, please!
Hourglass Footwear “Rio Rancho” Hand-Painted Pumps, $210 (photo by Amanda Hayes)
Popular Among Brides: Custom Wedding Shoes
As the Hourglass Footwear artists can paint pretty much any design you can dream of on pretty much any kind of shoe, you can imagine just how popular they are with brides.
Looking for shoes to match your medieval ‘Lord of the Rings’ theme with a hint of ‘The Wizard of Oz’? No problem! You can even send in your own shoes for a fully customized, one-of-a-kind design—guaranteed to be unique.
A bride in her Hourglass Footwear “Something Borrowed” Pumps, $210
The only limits here are paint and imagination, so we’d really like to see the Hourglass Footwear artists unleash their best — someone challenge these ladies to come up with an incredible and wearable work of art that’s customized just for you! Their $100 to $300 asking price is more than reasonable for a one-of-a-kind piece.
Durable, Stylish, and Perfect for Seattle Weather
Even though they’re still a fledgling company, Kira mentioned in an interview with KOMO-TV, “Just in the last few months we’re starting to breathe a sigh of relief.” Their business primarily operates online, but locals can drop in and try the shoes in person. As Lisa pointed out, “People come and their jaws drop… People plan their outfits around our shoes.”
Durability is also key. Lisa added, “We test everything… We’re very willing guinea pigs,” ensuring their shoes are stylish and rainproof—perfect for Seattle’s weather.
Would you like to have your own hand-painted shoes? Visit Hourglass Footwear for more info on the shoes in the gallery below.
In the following interview with Suley TV, Lisa and Kira from Hourglass Footwear introduce their Seattle-based company, which sells hand-painted shoes. Their team consists of eight artists, each with their own unique shoe collection. They specialize in creating custom designs based on customers’ sketches or ideas, and can match shoes to specific items like dresses, jewelry, or scarves. They emphasize their ability to provide fully customized shoes to meet individual preferences.