Making lemonade

 

Brianna Schwartz turned sore feet into a successful business. Her company Yenta+Posha, (yentaposha.com) named for her late dogs, sells insoles that transform cute, but painful shoes into comfy and supportive footwear. Schwartz currently runs the business from her home near Sandy Hook, where she has lived for 17 years, but hopes to move into a commercial space soon.

Brianna Schwartz wearing new lounge socks

Working as an event planner, Schwartz spent long days on her feet. The job required “professional attire,” which meant no sneakers and sore feet. Other women she met along the way had similar complaints. Fashionable women’s shoes are designed for looks, not comfort. Insoles allegedly designed to mitigate deficiencies in dress shoes rarely did the job or wore out quickly, explained Schwartz.

She decided that there had to be a better way and set out to create insoles to make any shoe comfortable and supportive of foot health. Her performance and embrace insoles recently earned the seal of acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association. These are the thinnest women’s insoles on the market that provide excellent shock absorption and alignment. These patented designs made of breathable materials fit into “fashion forward” shoe designs unable to accommodate thicker insoles.

The first step was to learn about feet, shoes, and the best way to make the two work properly together for comfort and foot health.

“I asked lots of questions and did lots of research,” she recalled. This included working with doctors and orthotists to find ways to support feet so that they move they way they are supposed to.  Effective insoles are more than extra cushioning, Schwartz explained. Proper  alignment of feet so they work the way nature intended is also crucial to comfort. “I learned so much that some people wondered if I was a doctor.”

When her research led to a prototype insole, she hoped to manufacture them in the United States. Alas, Schwartz  soon learned that the machinery needed to make her insoles were not available here. She investigated manufacturing opportunities in Mexico, but ultimately found the right fit in China. Some are now assembled in central Virginia, and she hopes to expand domestic manufacturing soon. In 2017 Schwartz secured patents for her Embrace and Performance Series insoles.

The insoles, made of breathable bamboo charcoal leather, do not break down over time, said Schwartz.

Initially, Yenta+Posha sold shoes, with the insoles as a sideline. The insoles soon outsold the shoes and became the focus of the company. A new product, no show cushion lounge socks thin enough to fit into any shoe has been added.

The website includes a short quiz to help customers figure out what kind of insole would work best for them and had lots of interesting information about foot health.

Schwartz is working on a line of insoles for men, with the goal of becoming a foot care company. 

Yenta+Posha gives back to animal welfare groups and soles4souls.org, which distributes unwanted clothing and shoes to those in need.