Startup Offers Colorful, Customizable Heels for Under $100

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Name: Chromatic Gallerie

Quick Pitch: Customizable women's shoes.

Genius Idea: Stylish heels in multiple widths and heel heights at an affordable price point.

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If you have wide or narrow feet and a budget that doesn't permit an expenditure of $300+ on a pair of shoes, you know that finding well-fitting, fashionable footwear isn't easy. Then there's the issue of style and comfort: How many times have you come across an almost-perfect shoe, only to wish it came in a different color or a slightly shorter heel?

Enter Chromatic Gallerie, an online retail startup for customizable women's shoes. At present, the site offers round-toe pumps that can be customized by material (leather or suede), color (12 hues, both brights and neutrals), size (5.5 to 11), width (narrow, medium and large), and heel height (2? to 3?). They're not as customizable as, say, Milk & Honey shoes, which lets you go so far as to choose piping colors and embellishments, but they're a lot more affordable: $88 versus a starting price of $250.

The shoes are designed in New York and manufactured in China. One of our editors, Lauren Drell, wore a 3? pair in the office last week, and was impressed both by the quality of the construction and the comfort of the wide fit.

Within the next two weeks, the company will begin selling shoes in a few new styles, materials and colors — including patent leather, faux fur and metallics — as well as 4? heel heights. Flats are also on the horizon

The New York-based startup was founded by Chris Luhur, a Stanford and Wharton graduate with a background in finance (at Goldman Sachs) and publishing (Time Inc.). The company, which has one other full-time employee and five contractors, is entirely self-funded. Luhur says she wants to gain more traction before seeking investment. For now, she's focused on partnerships and opening a showroom so shoppers can try on shoes in person.

Luhur says she's been surprised by the popularity of Chromatic Gallerie's brightly colored shoes — "I thought people would be attracted to colors but end up buying mostly neutrals, turns out it's been the opposite," she says. "Because the shoes are so affordable, I think people are more willing to take risks with them."

I asked her if she'd learned any other early lessons as an entrepreneur. "One of most important things is the people you work with. They can either bring you up or down. If you work people with same kind of energy and passion you do, it helps grow the business much more quickly."

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Series presented by Microsoft BizSpark

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The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives software startups three-year access to Microsoft software development tools, marketing visibility to help promote their business and a connection to the BizSpark ecosystem, giving them access to investors, advisors and mentors. There is no cost to join, so if your startup is privately owned, less than three years old and generates less than U.S. $1M in annual revenue, sign up today.