Today we’d like to introduce you to Burju Perez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Burju. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Art and dance have always been a most important part of my life. I never thought I would make two careers out of it. It started in Boston University when a group of friends and I started a Latin dance group. I met my now husband who was my dance partner then.
In 2000, after college, we decided it was something we wanted to continue doing even though we all had careers in other fields. We would give lessons in our communities and get hired to perform at weddings and parties. In 2003 we had the opportunity to go on tour in Europe. It was a chance of a lifetime so we went for it. We quit our careers to dance full time. We had an amazing dance career, where we were fortunate enough to tour the world and entertain audiences of thousands.
In 2013 my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child. At this point, we were ready to slow down the dance career and focus on another project that began in 2010 so that we could be home with our growing family. In 2010 we started a company called Burju Shoes. I was so inspired by the art and fashion from all the countries we had been to on tour.
And since dancing was our occupation I wanted to bring together the fashion and dance world by creating a more fashionable dance shoe line. We had great success in becoming a top brand in the Latin dance world. In 2016 we decided we wanted to break out into the mainstream and become a fashion brand that maintains the foundation of comfort, support, and athleticism in our footwear.
This way any woman or man will not have to compromise comfort for style.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were definitely struggles along the way. In fact, there were so many that we got used to struggling. But that is what got us to this point. By persevering through and learning how to conquer the obstacles we came out stronger on the other end.
Dancers and athletes know first hand that if you are comfortable you are NOT getting better. When we were dancing, all the rehearsals were a struggle. We would push ourselves both physically and mentally. In the shoe business, it has been a struggle learning about an industry we knew nothing about. Designing, manufacturing, and distributing a product is only the short list of areas we struggled to learn and conquer.
Every day there are new challenges as the world of retail is ever changing. To succeed we need to be adaptable and willing to learn. That alone is a struggle…
Please tell us about Burju Shoes.
Formerly, I am a professional Latin dancer. My husband and I were known for and specialized in musicality and body movement. What I am most proud about is the work we did in the community.
We started a dance program in partnership with a nonprofit in Jamaica Plain that currently serves hundreds of youth in the inner city. This program not only teaches them dance but also about community activism. Today, I am a shoe designer for Burju Shoes. I am also the co-owner of the company with my husband.
We are known for and specialize in high fashion high comfort shoes for any occasion. What sets us apart from others is that we also allow our customers to “build” their own ideal shoes by taking our styles and requesting them in the heel height and color/material of their choice. We make it so our customers can have it their way.
What makes me proud is that we work really hard to ensure an amazing customer experience from beginning to end. We give our customers a chance to express their style without compromising comfort.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
There really is not anything I would have done differently. Every failure or mistake has been a learning opportunity.
Pricing:
- Shoe prices range from $120-190
Contact Info:
- Website: www.burjushoes.com
- Email: info@Burjushoes.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/burjushoes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurjuShoes/
Image Credit:
Franklin Liranzo
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