Luxury women’s footwear brand Marion Parke lacks the name recognition—and, based in Minneapolis, the posh address—of Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo, but it has something those industry giants don’t: a foot surgeon at the helm. Parke stepped away from her podiatry practice to launch a shoe collection that balances fashion with function. Ask any woman at the end of a cocktail party, and she’ll tell you a chic 3-inch heel that doesn’t kill your feet is worth $650 per pair. The owners of Minnetonka Moccasin agree; they recently came on board as Parke’s first investors and advisors. Just two years in, Marion Parke shoes, produced in a top Italian factory, are already sold at Bloomingdale’s and top boutiques nationwide. Parke says 2019 promises to be a big growth year, with plans for a wholesale expansion and a big direct-to-consumer push.