Naturalizer, Designer Pnina Tornai Debut First Bridal Shoe Collection – Sourcing Journal

Just in time for peak wedding season, footwear brand Naturalizer and bridal designer Pnina Tornai have released their first shoe collection together.

The partners announced in August that they were teaming up to create two collections featuring memorable shoes for the entire wedding party, uniting Tornai’s luxurious aesthetic with Naturalizer’s comfort capabilities and size and width options.

The spring ’23 offering consists of nine special-occasion looks, including mules, platform heels and flats in a palette of whites, nudes, metallics, black and the designer’s signature Pnina Pink hue, elevated with rich materials and accents drawn from Tornai’s bridal gowns.

“The design codes of my bridal and evening collections — from my lace designs, beading and embellishments to the exact shade of silk white I use in my dresses — are precisely reflected in my shoe collection,” Tornai said. “I made sure to include signature Pnina bows — a large and dramatic one for bolder brides and a more delicate one for those who love the beauty of smaller details. Each shoe has a sparkle crystal heart charm, a signature detail that I included as a token of love from me to everyone that wears them.”

The collection ranges in price from $200 to $325 and is available now on Naturalizer.com. Beginning on March 26, it will also be sold through select retailers in-store and online, including Nordstrom, Kleinfeld Bridal, Dillard’s, Von Maur and Zappos. To celebrate the launch, Tornai is scheduled for a personal appearance at the Nordstrom NYC flagship store on April 29.

This is just the first step in Naturalizer’s collaboration with Tornai, however. Their second collection is slated to hit stores in September, and the pair shared a preview of some of the key looks.

One of Tornai’s favorite styles from the fall line is an ankle-strap heeled sandal with a thick straps that crisscross the foot and gather with a rhinestone clasp. It’s offered in satin white and metallic versions. Other highlights for fall include a see-through mesh bootie and a green satin version of the oversized bow sandal from the spring line.

With the top-performing bridal brand at Kleinfeld’s, Tornai is perhaps best known from the TLC reality series “Say Yes to the Dress,” which films inside the New York bridal salon and is now in its 22nd season. She also has a partnership with Jared for a jewelry line. But the collaboration with Naturalizer marks her first commercial footwear collection (she previously has created only bespoke, custom shoes for clients).

She said the partnership is another way for her to fulfill her mission of helping brides achieve their perfect day. “My personal goal is to connect with as many brides as possible to share my experience with them,” Tornai said. “Creating shoes that are beautiful, comfortable and also accessibly priced allows me spread my message of love to many more brides.”

For its part, Naturalizer, which is a division of Caleres, said Tornai has been the ideal collaborator as the brand looks to bolster its special-occasion business. “We have experienced growth in bridal and occasion footwear for the past two years,” said John Malpiedi, SVP and GM of Naturalizer.

He noted that in 2022, the brand moved up seven positions to third in the women’s dress footwear market, according to data from The NPD Group. And Malpiedi sees the bridal category as an opportunity for continued gains. “Naturalizer continues to drive size inclusivity for the industry and we have our sights set on innovating the wedding/occasion category even further by marrying our timeless designs and world-class comfort with a partner who has made countless brides’ dreams come true,” he said.