Mary Alice Malone has never been particularly interested in sticking to the “understated.” Since founding Malone Souliers in London 12 years ago, the designer has built a devoted following for footwear that melds architectural precision with a certain flirty irreverence.
All fashioned in Italy, and spotted everywhere from Bridgerton to Emily in Paris, the shoes are made with those who enjoy getting ready as much as they do going out in mind. For Autumn 2026 and the line’s latest Holiday collection, elongated square toes, sculptural heels, and graphic textures push that proposition further, while campaigns photographed by fashion favorite Tommy Ton capture the designs in motion.
For CULTURED, Malone discusses the brand’s latest wares, the pleasures of dressing up, and her guidebook to finding the perfect heel for both the streets and parties of today.
You’ve worked with Tommy Ton in both New York and Paris across multiple campaigns. What does he understand about the way women actually wear shoes that a traditional fashion photographer might miss?
Tommy has a wonderful instinct for movement and the best eye for detail. He understands that a shoe is never just an object, but part of the way a woman expresses herself. It is in the way she walks, the way she stands, and how she makes a shoe her own. He captures that spontaneity and confidence, rather than simply presenting the shoe as a beautiful product.
The collection introduces some striking new proportions, particularly the elongated square toe and sculptural Wave heel. What makes a silhouette feel genuinely new rather than simply unfamiliar?
For me, a new silhouette needs to feel instinctive, even if it is something you have never seen before. There has to be a sense of balance and harmony. The proportions can be unexpected, but the shoe still needs to feel beautiful on the foot and work naturally with the body. When design and wearability come together, something unfamiliar can quickly become iconic, which is what happened with our Maureen.
There’s an architectural quality to Malone Souliers designs. When developing a shoe, where does the process begin: with the shape, the material, or the person you imagine wearing it?
Sometimes, it’s a shape or a particular line that captures my imagination; sometimes it is a material or a woman I have in mind. What matters is how those elements come together. I am always thinking about the relationship between form, texture, and the foot itself. A shoe has to be beautiful as an object, but I love to think that it comes alive when someone wears it.
We’re experiencing a renewed appetite for shoes with a strong personality, after years of quiet luxury and studied restraint. How do you and your team approach this sentiment?
Women are always looking for pieces that feel personal. I talk to so many of my friends and clients, and I can tell there is certainly a renewed appetite for expression, color, texture, and distinctive shapes. It is a wonderful thing altogether, but I do not believe that it means abandoning restraint completely. At Malone Souliers, we are interested in the balance between elegance and individuality. A shoe can make a statement without being loud, and we have proved over and over again that sometimes the most memorable detail is a subtle one that reveals itself gradually. It is the play on the seen and the unseen, the covered and the uncovered, that has always fascinated me.
A beautiful shoe can change the way someone walks, stands, or enters a room. How much do you think about the psychology of wearing your designs?
I think about this a great deal, and my team has worked with me to balance design needs with the extraordinary emotional quality shoes possess. I am the greatest believer that shoes change how you feel about yourself! They can make you feel more confident, more playful, or more empowered. I love the idea that a woman might put on a pair of Malone Souliers and feel that something has shifted, even if nobody else can quite explain what it is. That emotional connection is a fundamental part of what we do.
Malone Souliers places considerable emphasis on craftsmanship and longevity. In an industry obsessed with the next thing, what makes a shoe worth keeping for 20 years?
Longevity in a shoe comes from quality, design, and the emotional connection created with the shoe. For me, a shoe must be beautifully made, but ultimately, I also want to create something that goes beyond a trend or a particular moment in fashion. When a woman has a personal connection to a shoe—when it reminds her of a place, an occasion, or a period in her life—it becomes much more than a simple accessory. Then, it earns a permanent place not only in her wardrobe, but also in her heart and in her memories. I want to create shoes that a mother will proudly pass on to her daughter, like I am doing with my girls now.
Every great shoe has a little fantasy attached to it. What kind of trouble do you imagine the Malone Souliers woman getting into this season?
I imagine her wearing a wonderful pair of Malone Souliers, strolling through the cobbled streets of Oaxaca, Mexico, dressed to the nines for a friend’s wedding. She is carefree, enjoys the moment, and is open to the evening taking her somewhere entirely unexpected.
She has confidence, a sense of humor, and, in the right shoes, the freedom to express her most authentic self. For me, the fantasy is not about being outrageous. It is about having the freedom to surprise others and, sometimes, even yourself.
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