Today we’d like to introduce you to Shadeeka Campbell.
Hi Shadeeka, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Lonia was a brand created out of frustration. As a tall female with size 12 feet (since 14 years old), finding stylish shoes in my size was never a common thing. Every shoe shopping outage ended in men’s sneakers or utter frustration. So, one evening, after I went on another store hopping rampage and didn’t find anything in my size, I decided to make my own shoes. I knew that if I was having this problem, there had to be plenty of others who also couldn’t find shoes in their size.
It went from a thought to a dream to reality. After doing some research and sourcing some essential resources, Lonia came into fruition. Let me tell you, The paperwork was officially filed in 2015, but Lonia really didn’t come into full play until late 2018. We’ve since graced numerous red carpets, have quite a few magazine features and are worn by individuals worldwide. There are no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Haha. The biggest challenge, like a lot of small businesses, was getting the finances together. Getting shoes shipped out from the factory is a nightmare with the cost of shipping increasing everyday!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Lonia specializes in women’s shoes sizes 10-16. We create both trending styles as well as exclusive collections that are often times not restocked or just restocked once. Having stylish shoes in large sizes is a pedestal on its own. We empower individuals to have an inclusive space where they don’t feel like the odd one out due to simply wearing a larger shoe size.
I’d say I’m proud of the brand’s growth as a whole. Building a brand is a tough job. It takes dedication, hard work, and passion. Oh, and money. A lot of money. Haha.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was pretty humble and kept to myself for the most part. I had a few friends. I loved art, and I grew to like and eventually play sports in high school.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://loniashoes.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/loniashoes
- Facebook: facebook.com/loniashoes
Image Credits
Pablito Laboy
