About Us: We are so happy that you discovered us! I am the Mary Sue and I am the co-founder of BENDY by Ashbury Skies.  After spending my entire career in the shoe business and I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with how most big brands shoes' were made AND what they were made of.

 

We decided to design and manufacture a shoe that is:

 

1) Planet Friendly, with a low carbon footprint.

 

2) Sourced from solid, transparent businesses I could build long-term relationships with.

 

3) Ethically made, with fair worker wages and no child labor.

 

4) Locally handcrafted in California.

 

5) We did all of the above without sacrificing comfort, style, or versatility. BENDY is extremely popular with women (ages 25-70) who are on their feet all day or those who have given up on uncomfortable shoes but have NOT given up on style.

 

6) The secret sauce in our shoe? Our footbed uses a deep-cushion technology for superior comfort and breathability. This along with the flexible bottom and buttery soft, breathable, Italian leather make our shoe very different than other shoes.

 

Major Press too: Our shoes have been featured in Fodor's Travel (In fact they included us in their top stylish, travel shoe guide last year), Forbes, Fast Company, 7 x 7 magazine and Eco Watch.

 

Shop BENDY here

 

 

Behind every pair of BENDYs is a woman taking on the world, her own way. 

 

We've featured plenty of women who have pivoted to stay ahead of the pandemic, but Denise McMahon's story is different. 

 

This week, we're introducing Denise — a proud stay-at-home mom who left her IT job after her maternity leave to take care of her son and focus on her side hustle, her portrait photography business.  Then COVID-19 hit and turned her best-laid plans upside down

 

This brave woman acknowledged the need to step back from her business while figuring out her new at-home normal.

 

“I have worked for over half my life now, starting at age 15, so becoming a SAHM (and becoming a mom in general...) has been truly life-altering." - Denise

 

Denise was used to socializing in both work and play. Of course, that brought a ton of anxiety about being at home full-time with little Wesley. 

 

She told BENDY:

 

"It was a little crippling at times, especially coupled with postpartum hormones. I had to give myself permission to slow down and stop worrying about the future and the things I couldn’t control. This helped prepare me for this wacky COVID-19 life, too.”

 

Denise looks at COVID-19 as a blessing in disguise for her young family. Her husband now works at home for the time being. Her thoughts:

 

"It fills my heart with so much happiness knowing that he’s been able to watch his son grow for the first 8 months of his life, instead of just the short paternity leave most men usually get."

 

Her photography business is officially on pause until fall family portrait season returns. Until then, Denise is keeping a pot of black coffee and a homemade treat in her home as often as possible. 

 

She loves baking cupcakes (always cream cheese frosting), among other yummies. And her extra time has led her to perfecting some of her fave recipes: shrimp etouffee, ribeye steak, and pretty much anything with loads of garlic.

 

 

Aside from 8-month-old Wesley, she is mom to two kitty furballs, Dusty McCormick and Dorito Santos (yup, they have full names).

 

At BENDY, we think Denise's path is one worth admiring...and it just goes to show that a strong woman is one who chooses her own destiny.

 

Denise on her BENDYs: 

 

"My favorite thing about these shoes are how comfortable they are from the upper to the soles and I LOVE the vibrancy of this lollipop red!

 

I still don’t go out too much these days, but let’s just say I am more motivated to dress up when I do, even if it's only to the grocery store."

 

Photo credits for these images go to Denise. This SAHM can style, model, and shoot — all with little Wesley in tow. Awesome work, Denise!

 

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Why BENDY, our stylish comfortable shoe, is different:

 

Women owned business. We are female run which is very uncommon in the shoe industry. We embrace the amazing power of women as one of our core values.

 

 

Ethical production. There are not many companies out there doing what we are doing.  By making our shoe in California, we can ensure safe working conditions and fair wages.

 

 

Best materials. We look at every material through an environmental lens and choose the ones with the lowest impact to our planet.

 

 

Comfort, comfort comfort. We know that all the above is great but it doesn’t matter unless our shoes are stylish a comfortable. We obsess of comfort and always trying to improve BENDY.

 

 

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The BENDY may just be a shoe, but our community of inspiring women makes it feel like a whole lot more.
 
We're lucky to know so many strong, creative women who make a difference in their everyday lives, just by being them. 
 
We've been following small business owners who are zigging and zaggingto support their families and keep their momentum, and Alicia Guckenheimer is one of them.
 
A San Francisco illustrator, photographer and sculptor, Alicia has a lot on her palette. Better known to her 600 grade school students as Ms. A, she teaches art so children know "if YOU can imagine it, YOU can make it and YOU can change the world."
 
I stumbled upon Alicia's pet portraits on Facebook and melted. Her knack for capturing an animal's spirit was obvious. Having rebooted her pet portrait business after losing her teaching job from the pandemic, I knew she had a story to tell.
 
Teaching is Alicia's passion, and no pandemic was going to stop her. Staying stagnant was not an option for this mother of 3 and grandmother of 5. She had to connect with her students, somehow.
 
She got busy:
 

• She started up her pet portrait business again, the commissions rolled in.

 

• She launched a YouTube channel — ART with Ms. A —  to teach her students from afar.

 

• She also used the opportunity to finish a dormant project: a picture book she'd started years ago, but never got around to finishing. Now, she expects her book to come out by the end of 2020 and hopes to eventually travel to schools to share her story.

 
What better time than now to teach children they have the power within them to change the world?
 
Alicia's story is unique, but it also reminds me of all the everyday heroes out there — mothers, teachers and artists who work to bring hope, light and color to the world.
 
"I am inspired every day by the children I teach. Their wonder and imagination...they just need a push and some encouragement." - Alicia, aka Ms. A
 
Now that's something I can get behind.

 

Alicia on her BENDYs

My favorite thing about my BENDYs? Quality, design and comfort! I tend to wear out shoes very quickly, so I need a shoe that is sturdy...but I also want it to have some unique design elements and feel good on the feet. I wore my BENDYs on a bike ride this week and they were amazing. Once I put them on my feet I feel in love with the comfort. BENDY really has done all three, all while being eco-friendly. Win-win.

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Starting a business is a lot like having a family.   There are ups and downs, nothing ever really goes *perfectly* to plan, but if you commit to strong principles prioritize your relationships, and work hard......things have a funny way of working themselves out.     I met my co-founder Caroline at my first job after college. We both got our starts in the shoe industry at the same time and even though we went our separate ways for a while - we always stayed in touch.     When 2017 rolled around, Caroline and I decided to take our own shot at creating a shoe - OUR shoe.     By that point, we'd spent over 30 years in footwear/fashion and we were both feeling increasingly uncomfortable with how most big brands shoes are made (and what they're made of).     We decided to design and manufacture a shoe that's:     1) Planet-friendly, with a low carbon footprint 2) Sourced from solid, transparent businesses we could build long-term relationships with 3) Ethically-made, with fair worker wages and no child labor;Locally handcrafted right here in California; 4) (all of the above) without sacrificing comfort, style, or versatility!     Once we committed to the idea, we set off on a wild, wonderful ride:     2017: The first BENDY sketches. 2018: Our successful Kickstarter campaign! 2019: Features in Fast Company, Forbes, and more! 2020: (Stick around for some exciting news!)     We've come this far because of our incredible community.     People like you have connected with the shoe we've created and we are genuinely grateful!     Thanks again for being part of our journey!     Stay well!   Mary Sue   shop bendy