I’m afraid I’ve developed a reputation around the Vogue office for my willingness to try new things. Fresh on the heels of road-testing Sneex, Sara Blakely’s sneaker heels, my editor announced that she had signed me up to try out sock shoes from Brave Pudding, a new brand from former Ralph Lauren publicist Sarah Fiszel.
While my editor assured me that the Brave Pudding sock shoes were cool, I was dubious. I just simply couldn’t imagine a world in which any of my outfits looked better with socks than they did with shoes. But, as the saying goes, “Nevertheless, she persisted.” (I’m pretty sure that was about pioneering footwear choices, right?)
Truthfully, my biggest roadblock was that I had no idea how I was going to style my sock shoes. Luckily a breakthrough struck during New York Fashion Week, when I stopped by Sandra Sándor’s fitting for Nanushka’s spring 2025 show. When the models emerged from behind the curtain, I noticed they were wearing little black sock shoes, some styled with gold anklets.
I decided to keep my own styling simple, to make sure the shoes really had their chance to shine. I wore a cropped black Uniqlo T-shirt, an old Free People slip skirt, and tortoiseshell Ray-Bans. Inspired by the Nanushka show, I layered a gold anklet over my Brave Pudding sock shoes, to give them a little razzle-dazzle.
I’ve got to hand it to Brave Pudding: They’re very comfortable. I would certainly hope so, since they’re firmly priced on the luxury market at $380. Made of recycled cashmere and with a cushioned sole, they were a very welcome break from my blister-inducing fashion-week shoes.
Courtesy of Hannah Jackson
Courtesy of Hannah Jackson
As for the aesthetics, I definitely felt a little ridiculous at first. All day, I fielded my colleagues’ comparisons to Rumpelstiltskin, Peter Pan, the Disney animation of Robin Hood, and a court jester. But they were also quick to admit that they were surprisingly chic. My biggest complaint, actually, is the brand’s name. The East Hampton–based label takes its moniker from a local Revolutionary War tale: In 1776, a woman refused to serve a bowl of her pudding to a British soldier, instead throwing it down the hill. (This is where the Hamptons’ Pudding Hill Lane gets its name.) Fiszel was apparently taken with the woman’s bravery—hence “Brave Pudding.”
If you’re going to have an eyebrow-raising product, you need a cool name to back it up. Having to say “Oh, my sock shoes? They’re from Brave Pudding,” felt a little silly. That said, Brave Pudding’s name being my main criticism is more a reflection of how solid the product is. They’re comfortable, sleek, and can actually fly under the radar. My assigning editor didn’t even notice me wearing them—a testament to their play as an everyday shoe.