Founder and Designer of Ruthie Davis Footwear

Ruthie Davis footwear has become the go to brand for celebrities and women the world over when they’re looking for fierce glamour. And it’s no surprise that Ruthie Davis grew up to be a successful footwear designer.  Her passion for shoes began at the young age of 2, when her mother took her shopping at a department store. She tried on her first  pair of red patent leather mary-janes, and when the sales women went to take them off, she threw a tantrum fit for a super-star diva.  Little Ruthie wore her mary-janes out of the store and even went to bed in them that night. It was love at first sight, and this love turned into a passionate obsession which led Ruthie to eventually create a line of footwear made up of  some of the world’s most provocative shoes.

Ruthie Davis developed a business savvy early on, becoming a entrepreneur at the young age of 25 when she opened an aerobics studio in Vermont.  She eventually went on to earn her MBA from Babson Graduate School of Business and upon graduation, was hired by Reebok as a “Cool Hunter” and was swiftly promoted to Director of the Reebok Classic division, where she helped ignite a consumer love affair with throwback designs in footwear.

In 1998, Ruthie left Reebok to become the Vice President of Design and Marketing for Ugg Australia in California.  It was here that she created a worldwide fashion phenomenon by repositioning the Ugg boot as an essential fashion staple.  She was even responsible for giving Oprah her first pair of Uggs.  In 2001, Ruthie went on to work for Tommy Hilfiger as the Vice President of Marketing and Design and launched a new division called “Tommy Girl Shoes” which was targeted at a younger and hipper girl.

Ruthie Davis "Pixel" Peep Toe Bootie

With such a strong background in footwear, it’s at no surprise that Ruthie eventually went on to launch her own line of shoes. The namesake brand of handcrafted, Italian-made shoes launched in 2006 combined the designers high-style and high-tech personal tastes with references to modernism, minimalism and lots of high-octane glamour.  Ruthie, who once wanted to be an architect, designs her shoes like “little buildings”, focusing on technical innovation in both form and function, a sleek aesthetic, and architectural precision, evident through the advanced “heel architecture”, which has become one of the brand’s signature details.

Italian Thriller, Danger Diabolik

Ruthie also draws inspiration from the strong heroine characters in Italian comic books and James Bond movies.  Her shoes have even been described as “go-go-dancer-meets-Barbarella.”  An authentic movie poster of Italian thriller, Danger Diabolik, featuring  the movie’s heroine Eva Kant, even hangs in Ruthie’s office, providing endless inspiration of a “totally mod, chic, hip 60s chick.”

Ruthie Davis Footwear at Dennis Basso Fall 2010

After the launch of Ruthie Davis footwear in 2006, the brand quickly gained worldwide recognition, and over the course of 4 years has been featured in countless publications.  The shoes, which embody a fierce glamour, have gained a loyal celebrity fan base, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Rihanna.  Perhaps the most devoted is Beyonce, however, who is frequently spotted wearing her Ruthies.  The shoes, since their debut, have been popular on the runways as well, participating in every New York Fashion Week since 2006 providing shoes for labels such as Alice and Olivia, Doo Ri, and most recently Dennis Basso.

Ruthie Davis "Ice" Platform Pump

Ruthie takes after her strong female inspiration and strives to be a motivating mentor and promoter of “girl power.” The July 2010 issue of Harper’s Bazaar China even featured her as the only woman in the article “Top 7 Leaders in the World of Shoes.”  To provide inspiration to young women the world over, Ruthie speaks at college campuses as a woman who is taking risks and going after her dreams and encourages others to do the same.

Ruthie advocates her girl power philosophy in hopes of urging other young girls to work hard, dream big and never compromise themselves as women.  With such strong beliefs as this, it’s no wonder a woman feels a sense of empowerment when slipping her feet into a pair of Ruthie Davis’s shoes.  After all, they were designed with super-like-women and courageous heroines in mind.

Shop for Ruthie Davis footwear on shuzsociety’s shopping platform, shuzsociety.tv!

For more on Ruthie Davis, please visit her web site, ruthiedavis.com.