With New Sneaker Line, Houston Beauty-Biz Giant Wants Hairstylists to Put Their Best Foot Forward

With New Sneaker Line, Houston Beauty-Biz Giant Wants Hairstylists to Put Their Best Foot Forward

FAROUK SYSTEMS, A Houston-based beauty-biz and spa-industry giant known for its leading brands Chi and BioSilk, has created Chi Footwear for professional hair stylists, a line of podiatrist-approved line of sneakers. Former hairstylist Farouk Shami, the founder and chairman of the company, collaborated with designer Joan Orozco on the line.


The idea is that, since hairstylists are on their feet all day, they need sneakers that are not only functional and comfortable but also stylish.

With a heavy focus on foot health, Chi Footwear developed a sneaker that is said to protect from bacteria, poor circulation, sweat, odor and foot fatigue. The shoe uses graphene technology, which Chi says is stronger and more flexible than other sneakers, a lightweight material that provides relief for plantar fasciitis, provides stability and balance and reduces muscle fatigue. The graphene foam inserts also address acupuncture points which disperses the weight evenly for pain-free movement and may even relieve lower back pain and pressure.

Available in women's and men's sizes, these lightweight and flexible sneakers feature a signature "horus" eye — a symbol recognized throughout ancient history. The embroidered "horus" eye represents protection, good health and energy. There are 15 pieces in the line, and they sell for $269 each. They come in a variety of colors.

Farouk Systems founder and chairman Shami Farouk wins an industry award earlier this month (photo from @farouksystems on Instagram).

Shami founded his eponymous company in 1986 to provide the professional beauty industry with advanced technology based on "education, environment and ethics," he says. His vast lines include curling irons, blow dryers, brushes, combs, shampoos, waxes, pomades and much more. He ran unsuccessfully for Texas governor in 2009, and is reportedly pals with former president Donald Trump, on whose Apprenticeshows he appeared twice.

Style
Meet Brian Boyter, New High-End Residential Broker with an Unique Background

BRIAN BOYTER IS a Houston native with an interesting background in real estate. After an impressive 16-year tenure managing commercial transactions in a Fortune 500 Real Estate Investment Trust, he recently made the shift to high-end residential brokerage. The experience left him uniquely suited to thrive in the sometimes-emotional world of buying or selling a home.

Keep Reading Show less

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less