As a little girl growing up in New York, Bloomingdale’s represented more than just a department store to me. It was emblematic of what I aspired to be: a stylish girl who would grow into a sophisticated, independent, fashionable woman. It was always a special occasion to make the trip from Long Island to the Big City, to the iconic store on 59th Street. One time when I was feeling down, my mom knew just how to cheer me up. She took me to get new underwear with the signature “Bloomie’s” logo on the back. I loved being branded a “Bloomie’s girl.” I’m so excited to be a Bloomie’s girl once again ..read more

Dear JO Customers, I originally got into the shoe business to give high heel wearers a better, healthier option. However, I’ve always known there was a better way to make a flat, too. I am thrilled to present you Luna, a stylish flat designed to keep up with your busy lifestyle. Despite the chic, minimalist design, there is more going on inside than meets the eye. Built into the shoe are a fifteen millimeter heel wedge to help take pressure off the leg muscles, an internal orthotic in the insole, and four millimeters of medical grade poron (a material better than memory foam to make you feel ..read more

I write this on the train back to Rome after a long day at the factory. Trains provide the perfect vehicle to sit and reflect! After a 10-hour day working with my team, sourcing leathers, going to the factory to celebrate the shipment for SS17 and plan out our new SS18 collection, I am exhausted, but happy. Honestly, this may be the happiest I’ve felt since I started this journey of building a shoe company. Today did not start out particularly well. I was unable to sleep last night, and I had allowed only one day (yes, it is apparent how crazy I can be) to accomplish everything planned for thi ..read more

Many women believe that heels should be flexible under the ball of the foot, but actually the opposite is true! Many women have come to believe that high heels will be more comfortable when they are flexible under the ball of the foot. This has even become a selling strategy amongst shoe salesmen who demonstrate how much the shoe bends in the ball of the foot as a selling point! When young toddlers begin to walk, I encourage parents to seek out very flexible shoes, or let the toddler walk barefoot. This aids in developing the neural connections to aid in balance and proprioception. There are r ..read more

Without a doubt, traveling and meeting people from other countries is the most rewarding part of this journey. Milan is one of the great centers for the arts, and fashion. It is always a joy to travel to Milan to gain inspiration and knowledge through the leather and materials fairs held several times a year. The cultural significance of Milan hits you before you even arrive at the fairgrounds. The architectural splendor of the Milano Centrale train station hits even during mundane daily commutes.. The architectural wonder of the famous La Scala opera house embraces you before you even hear a ..read more

Navy is one of the best neutral colors but unfortunately it’s both underused and underappreciated. Aside from a pair of dark wash denim or for the use of nautical stripes, it seems that the versatile shade is kept on the fashion sidelines. Only to make a “comeback” every other (or third) season. While it’s not exceedingly difficult to find a navy dress or blouse when it’s in season, finding navy shoes, in the past,  has been a completely different story. Fortunately, our Fall/Winter 2016 collection features a number of navy shoes in both smooth calfskin and printed python leathers:   ..read more

My dad grew up in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY in the 1920s, long before Williamsburg became the uber trendy town it is today. He and his three brothers, Louis, Al, and Murray were raised in an apartment which was accessed through a small staircase, hidden behind a door in my grandfather’s shoe store. As my grandparents aged, the store was managed by my Uncle Louis. Uncle Louis continued to live in the apartment for many years. My dad, my Uncle Al, and my Uncle Murray married and opened up retail shoe stores in the suburbs of Long Island. As you can imagine, family gatherings f ..read more

One of our favorite styles of the Fall/Winter 2016 collection is the super trendy lace-up ballet flat: Annie. Handmade in Italy with our patent-pending insole technology, this flat is not only comfortable and supportive but also versatile. A perfect shoe for that transitional Fall period, the “Annie” flat will pair well with just about anything in your closet, from shirt dresses and midi-skirts, to chambray dresses and dark wash skinnies. We put together four ways to dress up (or down) the “Annie” flat with some style inspirations for the season.   Edgy Ballerina: A tulle skirt is the per ..read more

Our Fall/Winter 2016 collection is making it’s in and this week we want to introduce you to one of our favorite flats of the season: the “Annie”.  A trendy lace-up flat in a beautiful navy snake leather (also comes in black soft calf leather) that’s handmade in Italy with the same patent pending insole that is in our heels. Our special insole makes the “Annie” feel more like an athletic shoe, and it also happens to be just as good for your feet. She’s not only comfortable and supportive but also versatile, perfect for that transitional fall period. The “Annie” flat will pair well with jus ..read more

On Monday morning Dr. Joan Oloff was interviewed by Good Morning America on high heels, foot health, and rethinking fashion’s approach to heels. On traditional women’s heels, Dr. Oloff says that “[traditional] high fashion women's shoes are abusive....the idea that pain is something that's natural makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up and women are finally realizing that no, I don't want to hurt,". From this realization and the desire to change women’s choices, the Joan Oloff brand was born. She went on to say that, “One of our very first approaches to correcting the pain from high he ..read more