Bad shoes could very well be the bane to one’s day. Women in particular may find situations such as heel blisters to be an annoying reoccurrence in their lives, all thanks to shoes which are of poor quality. My mother always told me when I was young that, “We only have one pair of feet, it is good that we learn to protect them,” and she’s right. It is best to invest in a good quality pair of shoes, than to suffer with a painful limp when we are older.
However, comfortable shoes hardly come by the dozen so when we walk a mile in the softest pair yet, we tend to revisit the store in which we purchased the magical pair from.
Fiqa Liyana Chong, a TVC talent and entrepreneur knows this problem all too well, for she has experienced having to travel a lot and attend events where high heels were a mandatory. Through Fiqa’s bad experience of having to face the discomfort and inconvenience of her beloved stilettos, the idea for FIQS footwear came about.
Comfort Is The Key
FIQS is a line of handmade foldable footwear available in an array of fun bright designs, colours and styles. Fiqa shared with Vulcan Post, “FIQS made it easier in terms of convenience and practicality. For someone who loves wearing high heels and has a hectic lifestyle, I don’t have to worry about wearing any type of shoes wherever I go.”
Fiqa would simply tote around her compact shoes in her handbag and swap them whenever she needs to. “This way, I won’t have aching and blistered feet at the end of the day,” she said. The budding entrepreneur shares that her line of shoes is different from numerous other brands out there who offer their own line of comfortable footwear.
Built To Last
This is due to the material that they use and the shoe foam which absorbs shock. The durable footwear is able to endure much wear and tear because it can be attributed to the material used—cow leather. Fiqa specifically chose this material herself due to its strength. After all, nobody likes a pair of shoes that are cute but lasts for only a short period of time.
Besides the material, FIQS utilises a flex resistance testing machine in order to provide the best possible comfort for its customers. The flex resistance testing machine tests the upper material of the shoe for its resistance towards flex cracking.
“Our first batch of shoes are made of leather, and to avoid the cracking at the creases by the foot bending during walking, we test the material in this machine before the shoe is made and after. We also test our material with other testing machines, like for our soles and for types of weather resistance,” said Fiqa.
Trial And Error To Success
Though her line of footwear may be able to withstand all sorts of rocky terrains, Fiqa’s path into entrepreneurship could not have been further from that.
“When I started FIQS, I was still in university and had no experience in running a business. But I did anyway and learned my mistakes along the way. The mistake I did was not performing a market validation when I had the idea. As I am getting more experienced now, I go through the steps that I should and make less mistakes,” Fiqa shared candidly.
In the beginning of the process for FIQS, it was extremely tough to liase with people in foreign countries, but Fiqa managed to overcome it and even found it fun to design her footwear as well as go material shopping. Of course, the most exciting part of all was watching her creations come to life.
For A Better Tomorrow
In order to do that, Fiqa is used to working long hours but because of her innate passion, she is always eager to start the day early just so she could continue where she had left off the day before. “It’s like an addiction. Although it gets tiring with all the emotional roller coaster ride, the outcome is satisfying,” said Fiqa.
The outcome of her hard work, she finds extremely rewarding because as an entrepreneur she stresses that you would be a jack of all trades.
“You juggle, learn and stretch yourself beyond what you thought you are capable of. You also adapt and thrive in challenging environments. Not forgetting, problem solver too. Every day I learn something new,” she said.
Conquer The World In Comfy Flats
Since the inception of FIQS, they have expanded to Hong Kong because it is the perfect place where the footwear will be convenient for women who take public transportation often and lead a hectic lifestyle.
Likewise, future plans for the brand would include more designs for FIQS, as well as plans for a physical store which will be announced sometime next year.
The mission of FIQS is to ease women’s pain in wearing high heels. As such, Fiqa stressed that they will continue to only produce foldable flats and with such a niche, they will only be able to provide better quality footwear as time goes on. In her words she says, “We would like to concentrate what we do best to provide the most innovative foldable flats.”
All images are taken from Fiqa Liyana Chong’s Facebook page and FIQS Facebook page.