Birdies Shoes: Flying to the Top

IN ANNE LAMOTT’S NOVEL BIRD BY BIRD, THERE IS A SCENE where the protagonist starts researching for a school paper about birds the night before it’s due. Overwhelmed by the pile of books about birds in front of her, she is stuck until her father advises her to take it “bird by bird.” This echoes Bianca Gates’s philosophy. “Just start,” Gates replied when asked for her advice to women. “Whatever’s on your mind, start. Whether it’s taking a risk and finding a new job, making a new friend, or moving to a new city, start.” Gates co-founded Birdies, the San Francisco-based shoe company, with her friend Marisa Sharkey. The company’s original concept was comfortable, stylish shoes one can wear while hosting a fashionable dinner party: flats as comfy as slippers. They built the company as young women, holding full-time jobs and without experience in the field.