Stand tall in Kathryn Kerrigan shoes

February 25, 2009 Though Kerrigan designs shoes in average sizes, starting at size 6, her focus has always been on fitting tall women, who wear shoes up to size 15. Kerrigan, who grew up in Libertyville, recalls visiting each of the 6 regional malls in the Chicago-area to find prom shoes for her size 11 feet. She didn't know it at the time, but her exercise in footwear frustration would later provide inspiration for a booming business. Her need for stylish shoes to suit her six-foot-tall frame continued into her professional life. As a basketball player at Lake Forest College, she had teammates who were even taller and faced the same footwear frustrations.

With her newly minted MBA from Loyola University Kathryn created a business plan based around shoes for tall women. After drafting sketches and specs for her first line of women's dress shoes, Kathryn worked with craftsmen in Northern Italy to produce her designs. Her designs, hand crafted in Spain, are inspired primarily from her Grandmother's designer couture wardrobe and most of her designs reflect this vintage flair.

"My designs give the soles a well-deserved break from constricting fabrics, uncomfortable heels and flats." She says. "The handcrafted construction provides gentle control without rough materials and machine-made fabrication. The soft leather lining allows the soles to breathe without constricting or pinching the toes. The moderate arch and soft, elastic back found on the ballet flats provide additional comfort."

Kerrigan's shoes have been available on her website (www.kathrynkerrigan.com) for the past several years. Now she has opened a retail store in Libertyville at 741 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048. You can order by phone at 847.557-5067. The grand opening celebration for the store will be on March 10 at 4 pm.

Kathryn Kerrigan Shoes featured on ABC 7

Spring/Summer '09 Prices

Jerri $240
Carmen $160
Lorena $223
Taylor $236
Ramona $223
Sadie $218
Lorena $223

Transitional Shoes (Winter/Spring)

Ginny $89 was $299
Aimes $149
Tamra $129
Wendy $129
Linda $69
Suzi $89