A Closer Look at the $400,000 Kathryn Wilson Charity Pump

When Manolo Blahnik said that shoes are the fastest way for a woman to achieve instant metamorphosis, he was right considering that there has never been a woman who never owned a beautiful pair of shoes for those special occasions. Besides, Christian Louboutin believed that shoes could transform the body language and attitude because they lift you emotionally and physically. So, tell a woman you are taking her shopping, and if it involves shoes, you will see her eyes instantly glimmer. Still, shoes are not the same, each pair having its design translates to the fact that even the price tag attached to them differs. That said, while you may think that buying a Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Pigeon for $7,000 is a bit too much wait till you hear that there was a pump auctioned for nearly $420,000. Yes, the Kathryn Wilson charity pump set itself apart by being the most expensive pair of shoes, worldwide, back in 2013 according to E-News. Let’s see what makes the Kathryn Wilson’s charity pumps so special as well as who came up with the design.

The designer

Some children will sulk for a whole day because their parents bought them a dress or pair of shoes that were not to their liking. Kathryn Wilson was not like these children; she knew sometimes you have to create your own happiness, and when life serves you lemons, you better make some lemonade. So as a little girl in love with shoes, she did not wear boring shoes; she customized them to her liking, and with that, Kathryn already knew that upon growing she would be a footwear designer. However, Kathryn was not settled on being just a regular footwear designer; she was determined to study footwear and fashion and become the go-to destination for shoes in New Zealand.

The shoe’s design

Diamonds have always been a girl’s best friend, and whether they are on shoes, jewelry, or any other accessories, any woman would love to have them in her collection. Maybe it is with this knowledge that Kathryn got the inspiration to design her shoes with diamonds. With white shoes as the base, she drew a pattern that she had sketched by hand on the pumps, using a pencil. Kathryn then used tweezers and special glue to place diamonds of various sizes on to the pattern to come up with the shoes.

It may seem like an easy process, but Kathryn admitted through an interview with the Jeweler Blog that it was a challenging and time-consuming process. Besides choosing the different sizes of diamonds, Kathryn had to predetermine the amount of space she would require for placing the lace and decorations as well as the carats of diamonds needed to complete the shoes. Bu the time she was done, she had spent 50 hours to embed by hand 21.18 carats of diamonds.

Considering the value of diamonds, Kathryn had to go to the extra expense of hiring a security detail to accompany her whenever she was sourcing for the diamonds and transporting the shoe. So if she went to those lengths, even if you had to be given the shoes for free wearing them would be out of an option, unless you want your legs cut off.

Purpose of the shoes

Any girl would dream of having diamonds on her feet, but that is not why Kathryn made the shoes; she had a noble thing in mind. Kathryn has been an ambassador for the Royal McDonald House Charity for a while and the 50 hours she put in the hand application of the diamonds were all to make a positive change in the world.

Royal McDonald House Charities, an American autonomous not-for-profit organization, was established with the sole mission of creating, finding, and supporting programs that improve the well-being and health of children, directly. It has a global presence with 368 houses across 64 countries and provides shelter for families with hospitalized minors, usually under the age of 18 or 21 depending on the house. Each night, it helps a family save $700 it would have spent on hotel costs according to Wikipedia .

Kathryn’s shoes, therefore, raised enough money to cater for families with children admitted in hospitals away from their homes. Her big heart has seen her team up with the organization in other ventures, including limited-edition sweaters that were available in four colorways. With the 100 sweaters, Kathryn wanted to give the children and their families staying at the house a Christmas worth remembering by filling it with a joyful experience.

Other diamond shoes

A price of over $400,000 is not one that many can afford but to learn that other shoes carry an even higher value is not surprising in this age when everyone is determined to have their product make a statement. Therefore Passion Jewelers Dubai collaborated with Jada Dubai to create “The Passion Diamond Shoes.” Comparing it to the Kathryn Wilson pumps with 21.18 carats that took 50 hours to complete, these diamond shoes took almost nine months; it is like carrying a baby to full term, so it is no surprise that the bundle of joy that came out acquired the title of the most expensive shoes in the world upon its launch in September 2018.

So special were the shoes that the launching was done in the only 7-star hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab in Dubai. The stilettoes, valued at $17 million, were embellished with 236 Flawless-D diamonds and incorporated leather, silk, and gold hence its worth. If you are interested in owning a pair, you can ask for a customized pair from the company since those at the display were a 36EU standard size.

As Barrons explains, The Passion Diamond Shoes replaced the other pair that had set a record in October 2017. The Wingham shoes, made from rare diamonds, also have 24-carat leather that is painted in gold, and is stitched with a gold thread; 18-carat to be precise.