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Chicago Shoemakers Create World’s Largest High Heels for Guinness Record Holder

“It’s kind of like the Kinky Boots story, but we’d call it Comfy Clogs,” says Mohop founder Annie Mohaupt. “Up to 72% of people fit poorly, or not at all, in standard size mass produced shoes. In an effort to revitalize American fashion manufacturing, my co-founder Justin Walker and I have spent the last decade developing future-oriented systems for footwear production. Our processes are not only more sustainable, but enable us to make comfortable, ergonomic shoes in virtually any size.”

Enter Tanya Herbert, a 6’9” Houstonian with a big problem - she can’t find a single pair of cute shoes for her womens size 18W feet. Herbert created a popular TikTok channel documenting her footwear struggles. One fan suggested that Mohop could be an option and a collaboration was born.

Mohaupt was captivated by the idea of putting Mohop’s processes to the test. “We’ve personally collected and studied foot tracings from thousands of customers, and we combined that data with an analysis of 1.2 million 3D foot scans to develop a proprietary fit algorithm,” she says. “We expanded our algorithm to Tanya’s size and were thrilled that the first pair we made fit her perfectly!”

Months later, Herbert received exciting news: she won the Guinness World Record for Largest Feet on a Living Person (Female). Herbert told Guinness, "Being a world record holder may open doors that I may not have been able to get into beforehand. I want to be a spark to the shoe manufacturing industry!" Mohaupt responds that indeed, “Tanya has become our muse!”

“From her inspiring health evolution to embarking on writing a book about her transformative career as a white woman in a Black church, having record-holding feet isn’t the most fascinating thing about Tanya. As she continues her journey, Tanya deserves well-fitting shoes that reflect her vibrant personality. With Tanya’s collaboration, Mohop now makes 128 shoe sizes, furthering our mission to be the literal foundation for people marking their path through the world.”

Mohop has recently completed several new shoes for Herbert, including a just-launched style of 4” high heels with a gilded 3D carved walnut wood heel. These shoes would make Herbert - temporarily - the tallest woman in the world at 7’1”. Perhaps the symbolism of women supporting women is a bit on the nose here but, “we’ll take it” agree Mohaupt and Herbert.