More than 20 years after co-founding Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon—along with her female-led team—have changed the way women think about wearing heels, by creating shoes for women, by women. As an avid high-heel wearer and shoe obsessive, when I learned that the woman behind one of the most coveted luxury shoe brands had just launched Pillow Top, a line of pumps, sandals and flats made with 8 millimeters of dual-layer memory foam cushioning—yes, the same material you rest your head on at night—I knew I had to get my hands on a pair.
I took a spin in the Pillow Top Collection Satellite heeled mules at work this week—the pointed V-throat slip-ons encase a plush velvet pillow, set primly atop its insole. As promised, the unique memory foam cushioning provided comfort under my feet throughout the entire day—from early-morning meetings all the way to post-dinner drinks. And even at the end of the day, I wasn’t ready to take them off.
During a bi-coastal chat with the British entrepreneur herself, Mellon walked me through everything there is to know about these first-of-their-kind shoes—from ideation all the way through to some of her personal favorites.
“You see, the best designs always come out of a need. When I started this brand I have always been focused on making the shoe comfortable… I have always thought well to myself, I have to wear my own shoe. I don’t want to be in pain.”
The memory foam idea hatched in spring of 2020, when we were all settling into life amid the first lockdowns. Women, including myself, traded in their heels for slippers and slides, and for the time being, said goodbye to their stiletto wearing days.
“Fifty percent of women were saying: ‘I’ve now been in slippers and flats for so long, I’ve never going back to heels.’ And then another 50 percent of women were saying: ‘No, its revenge dressing. I can’t wait to get my heels back,'” Mellon says. “So my idea was to really make those two worlds collide.”
Here are the MVPs from the collection:
As mentioned, meet The Satellite, my favorite pair out of the Pillow Top collection. Shown here in a dreamy Topaz, each velvet shoe in this collection features a gorgeous ombre, crystallized heel. “I love anything with a bit of sparkle on it,” Mellon says.
Next up is the The Solar 100, the shoe you can wear with absolutely anything. The shoe that will take you all the way from your day-to-day activities to post-dinner drinks later that evening. “It is the easiest shoe,” Mellon added.
Last but not least, and another personal favorite, meet The Comet. This fantasy shoe comes in six different color ways. Thanks to its 8 millimeters of memory foam, the thought of slipping into a pair of four inch heels again seems not only inviting, but exciting.
The Satellite, Solar, and Comet are only three styles out of the Pillow Top line, so make sure to explore the full collection before the holidays. Outside of the Pillow Top Collection however, opt for one of the designer’s personal favorites: The Eclipse Boot. Of her thousands of pairs of shoes, a great pair of boots is at the top of her list when it comes to getting dressed. And don’t worry, her boots have cushion in them too.
The Pillow Top collection will continue into Spring Summer 2022 and become a staple within the brand moving forward. In February of 2022, Tamara Mellon will be launching a Pillow Top basics, to fill the need of your basic day-to-day shoe collection in your closet. And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, each purchase is guaranteed up to two years of repair with a personal cobbler concierge service. From scuffs to heel replacement, the TM team has you covered.
Say goodbye to, Beauty Is Pain and hello to your next favorite pair of shoes.
