In Her Shoes 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: 75 Black Women-Owned Brands to Shop

Blending the minimalism of Danish design with a colorful sensibility derived from an Ivory Coast lineage, Yvonne Koné creates luxury Italian-made leather goods, cashmere accessories, and key wardrobe staples that are timeless, understated, and effortless. A pared back, architectural approach to form, materials, and texture balances practicality with a playful approach to color that nods to our African roots. Yvonne Koné creates products of lasting quality, classic beauty, and a reverence for traditional craftsmanship.

Salone Monet is the founder and creative behind the color inclusive nude shoe brand Salone Monet. A lifelong passion for shoes turned Salone away from political PR and into a shoe designer. After receiving a degree in Public Communications from American University in Washington, D.C., she created digital content for the federal government and trade associations while working at a shoes and accessories boutique. There she realized the need for color equity amongst nude shoes. Salone learned shoemaking in Brooklyn, New York, where she made her first pair of nude heels from scratch. Her color inclusive line has adorned the feet of Beyoncé Knowles, Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer and a host of other influential people.

J.J. Gray’s line of artisanal shoes embodies timelessness, craftsmanship and old world values. “Our shoes define us, perhaps too much so,” says Jessica Perdomo, Founder & CEO. As is the case with so many of life’s greatest treasures, Perdomo found her shoes by accident. On a trip Southern Spain, she met a family who had been making custom shoes for three generations, having perfected a last that is treated on all J.J. Gray shoes. The family sources its supple calfskin from local tanneries that do not use harsh chemicals to treat their hides, and cannot be found in the States. Jess’s commitment to growing J.J. Gray is rivaled only by her passion for giving back; the company plans to donate sneakers to children in need. “Confidence comes from both the soul and the sole,” Perdomo says. “Everyone deserves to have a pair of shoes on their feet that feels good to wear and makes them feel good too.”