Key Takeaways Pavone’s “light bulb moment” led to a side hustle: selling convertible heel-to-flat shoes.
She founded Pashion Footwear in 2016, using money from startup competitions to launch.
Pashion’s been profitable since 2023 and saw its first $1 million net revenue month in September 2025.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Haley Pavone, 29, of San Luis Obispo, California. Pavone was a junior in college and working part-time as a Starbucks barista when she started the side hustle that would become her full-time business, Pashion Footwear, which sells convertible heel-to-flat shoes. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Pashion Footwear. Haley Pavone.
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When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I founded Pashion in 2016 after suffering a high-heel-related injury. I’d worn six-inch platform stilettos to my sorority spring formal that I, obviously, could not dance in. So, I solved that problem the way most women do — I took the heels off and took to the dance floor barefoot. Unfortunately, my inspiration very literally struck when one of my sorority sisters, who still had her heels on, accidentally stomped the ballpoint of her stiletto through my bare foot!
Related: This 29-Year-Old Quit Her Job to Pursue a $13k-a-Month Side Hustle
After enduring that impalement, I had a light bulb moment: Why was I constantly ending up barefoot because of my heels? Why couldn’t we have a shoe product that blended the signature high-heel style with sneaker-level comfort and practicality, without compromise? Thus, the idea for Pashion convertible heels was born.
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