The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned a classic pump by La Canadienne into a look that’s truly her own — and it has been aptly dubbed in her honor, the “Sophie.”
The first lady stepped out in the homegrown brand’s “Renny” pumps for a state visit to China around the beginning of September, and her public appearances in the shoe was such a “success” for the brand that they will be reintroduce for spring ’17, La Canadienne president Penny Shuster shared with Footwear News.
“As word spread that Sophie was wearing our pump, customers would come into the store and ask for ‘Sophie’s high heels.’ Eventually it caught on and now we’re all calling it the ‘Sophie,’” Shuster explained.
Along with the new nickname, the shoe will be available in a variety of colors such as red, fuchsia and yellow. New styles will include lower and higher heel heights, too.
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There’s little to wonder why observers took notice of the pumps. The 41-year-old donned the versatile footwear on at least three occasions during the week-long trip, teaming the nude shoes with a white top and neutral pant by Aritza, a red dress by Lucian Matis, and a floral-print peplum dress by Tanya Taylor.
“Seeing how she styled it with a dress pant and with a knee-length dress goes to show that this classic style really is a wardrobe essential for women of all ages,” Shuster said.
The shoes are made from Italian suede and feature a pointed-toe profile. They’re available in nude, blue and black for $395 online.
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“The ‘Renny’ pump is 3 inches — in other words, the power heel height,” Shuster said. “It’s just high enough for a woman to stand tall and feel dressed up, but not so high that she will want to take them off after a few hours of being on her feet.”
Sophie has also worn shoes by Gianvito Rossi, Zvelle and Ron White, among others.
“We are honored that Sophie has selected us as her footwear brand of choice,” Shuster added. “Being a Canadian company, we feel that it sends a strong message when the first lady makes the conscious decision to wear and support a brand that is home grown.”
