US-based Guyanese entrepreneur: Samanta Joseph

US-based Guyanese entrepreneur Samanta Joseph is renowned internationally for her creative twist on her specially-made footwear. She serves a special niche market: large-size women’s shoes. Her 10-year-old company offers styles up to size 14, and can be found on most major shoe online retailer sites.
When Samanta was just a young girl in Guyana, her mother ordered a pair of custom-made sandals to better fit her flat feet. This experience would later spawn a business idea. After migrating to the U.S., Samanta graduated from Pace University in 2002 with a degree in Computer Information Systems; but the self-professed “shoe addict” passed up lucrative job offers to follow her passion.  Designing shoes has been a passion of Samanta since she was a child, and her business, Samanta Shoes launched in 2003 with her husband and business partner Kevin, grossed approximately US$1 million in 2010.
Samanta Shoes is an international retail and apparel company specializing in shoes that provide women a balance between quality, comfort, and style. With faith in herself and plenty of industry research, Samanta found the resources she needed in Brazil. With help from the Brazilian Consulate in Guyana, she connected with a manufacturer and an agent to represent her in the business.
It is Samanta’s belief that every woman needs at least one great pair of shoes. For women who wear larger shoe sizes, desire current fashion trends, and are frustrated by the lack of availability, Samanta Shoes is dedicated to solving this global problem. Samanta creates life- changing experiences for women who have trouble finding stylish shoes with comfort in their size. In addition to traditional sizes, Samanta offers large size women’s shoes in size 11, size 12, size 13, size 14, and wide width sizes.
Samanta Shoes is a recognized luxury brand that is validated by celebrity clients, media exposure, and billion dollar retail partners. Today, Samanta Shoes can be spotted on trendsetters like Tyra Banks, Debra Messing, Sanaa Lathan, Wendy Williams, Geena Davis, Sophia Bush, Queen Latifah, Rachel Bilson, and Rihanna. The company has also enjoyed a favourable response from the media, registering on the radars of the Oprah Magazine, Today Show, People, Marie Claire, Health, Lucky, InStyle, Essence, Latina, Black Enterprise, WSA Today, Footwear News, and Footwear Plus.
Each shoe is first carefully constructed using a special shoe mould that is a hybrid of a flat foot, and a high instep. This ingenuity provides comfort on both ends of the spectrum, and all areas in between. Great thought is put into the arch support, heel height, and leather lining of each shoe.
In an interview with JET Magazine, Samanta said she was always a bit picky about her shoes, and got into the habit of creating her own – taking bits and pieces from one pair of shoes, bows or shoelaces, for example – and putting them on another pair to make her shoes unique.
The “shoenista” explained she tries to do designs that are classy and classic, clean but with a twist, with an edge which makes her designs unique. “I make changes based on the feedback I get from my customers. Women love it. They like seeing their ideas incorporated into the line. I had a customer who was 80 and she told me she wanted to see more red print like a red croc print. She didn’t want just a plain red shoe. Eighty years old! But I took her idea and ran with it. It did really well,” she told JET Magazine.
What also makes Samanta’s Shoes distinct is naming them after her customers. According to Samanta it is her way of thanking all those who supported her.
Visit www.samantashoes.com for more information on Samanta Joseph and her fabulous shoes.