Some great press for Zoe who has worked with Inspiring Enterprise to set up her business.
A mother and entrepreneur is now aiming to set a new precedent for UK women’s office footwear. She has created a new line of professional flat shoes that offer comfort and style both.
In 2016, Nicola Thorp was fired from her office job in London when she refused to abide by sexist dress codes. After being fired for refusing to wear high heels, her story gained global traction and started a much-needed dialogue on sexism within the workplace, especially in terms of women’s dress codes. This story inspired Zoe Ellis-Moore (ZEM) to start her entrepreneurial journey to inspire women across the United Kingdom.
Now starting her business in Farnborough, Hampshire, ZEM previously served at a corporate position for many years and experienced workplace sexism first hand. Referring to herself as the ‘Mumentrepreneur’, she states that there is no need for high heels in the boardroom. Her latest line of office shoes for women aims to reinvent the idea of professional style. With this new lifestyle shoe brand, ZEM is introducing flat shoe designs that pertain to a highly sleek, professional and stylish aesthetic, all the while being comfortable and durable.
ZEM made an official statement for the press to discuss the underlying ideas of her entrepreneurial endeavours “I am a 38-year-old woman who has served a great deal of her professional life working in the corporate sector. Following maternity leave, the employers at my London job deemed me redundant. While it was shocking to me, it finally allowed me the opportunity to fully focus on my entrepreneurial ideas and add value to the lives of professional women just like myself.”
She further added “Office dress codes for women remain extremely rigid and sexist, even in 2019. Many popular companies have some history with firing female employees due to not wearing high heels or not wearing a particular kind of bra. High heels in the workplace are not only uncomfortable but also pose grave long-term health risks for women. I want to do my part in changing that.”