Taking strides towards workwear equality

For Stacey Head—founder of a women’s supportive footwear company 'she wear'—the journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t necessarily planned. It started because she saw a problem that no one else was solving.

After leaving her corporate career behind, Stacey ventured into property development, but one day, on a construction site, she had an accident that she realised posed a fundamental problem.

"I had a nail go through my foot because I was wearing the complete wrong type of shoes."

"Afterward, I tried to find a decent, good-quality, well-fitting work boot for women, and there were just none. They were all men's boots—heavy, uncomfortable, and not designed with women in mind," she recalled.

Recognising a gap in the market, Stacey set out to create a solution. What began as a small home-based hobby quickly gained momentum.

"I just wanted a bit of cash flow while working on property development, but then 4 months after we launched, female contestants on The Block wore our boots, and that changed everything," she explained.

Soon, her business expanded into a warehouse and evolved into a diverse range of work shoes for women across various industries.

Stacey's business is not just about providing footwear—it's about empowering women in male-dominated spaces and providing them with the quality footwear they need.

"There are so many women in non-traditional industries making a real difference," she said. "But they weren't given the same quality options as men. Women deserve better products."

As a female entrepreneur, Stacey says that navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry hasn't been easy. "When I started, I was constantly told that ‘women don’t need work boots or that I wouldn’t last."

Despite the challenges, Stacey believes resilience and intuition are key to success. "Women have strong gut instincts. Yes, data is crucial but so is trusting yourself."

Along her business journey, Stacey accessed support through mentoring programs. "I did some mentoring sessions a few years ago as part of Queensland Government’s Mentoring for Growth program," she said.

"It was great to talk to people and listen to their experiences—hearing other people's stories who have been there and done that, was good for me."

Looking to the future, she hopes for a world where gender becomes irrelevant in business, she believes in an equal future, where talent and not gender determines one's success.

For aspiring female entrepreneurs, her advice is simple: "Be resilient. Push through negativity. And most importantly, stick to your ethics. Your personal truth should be reflected in your business. The journey isn't easy, but it’s worth it."

Now, with the support of a Queensland Government grant, Stacey is working towards expanding 'she wear' into international markets. A step which will help even more women put their best foot forward in a safe and comfortable way.

"It's about ensuring women everywhere have equal access to the right tools they need to succeed," she said.