Where to get your own 'Maureen' shoes—the official footwear of the 71st Miss Universe

Want to feel like a beauty queen? Here’s an idea—grab your own pageant shoes.

In case you don’t know, the Miss Universe organization again tapped Filipino designer Jojo Bragais to work his brilliance on the official footwear of the candidates for its recently concluded 71^st edition. 

The Miss Universe 2022 candidates walked the pageant stage in the Maureen heels, which are “a nod to the power of perseverance and prayer with straps like hands locked in deep devotion.” Each piece is “perfected to bear the impact of women with big dreams.” 

Taking pride in how every pair is Filipino-made and 90% handmade, Bragais shared that he took inspiration from his good friend, Filipino-American beauty queen Maureen Montagne, who passionately shared her dream of representing the Philippines on an international stage in one of their heart-to-talk conversations. “Tumatak ‘yun sa isip ko. Kaya when Maureen won as Miss Globe 2021, sobrang proud ako and she inspires me, and she inspired me to design the shoes after her,” he said.

“Every beauty queen, sure ako na may dream to represent the country. So kung mapapansin niyo, yung strap ng Maureen is like nagdadasal. Every time we pray, we cross our hands. Yung design ng Maureen, parang nakacross yung strap. Simple man siyang tignan, pero yung story behind the shoes is something na sobrang malalim para sa akin,” the Pinoy designer added. 

If you’re looking to have your own “Miss Universe” moment, you’d be happy to know that you can get your hands on the official pageant shoes for the 2022 tilt. It’s available in different colors to complement your natural glow: gold to “keep your steps shining brightly,” caramel for those with sweet medium skin tone, cocoa for those with rich, dark skin tone, cream that’s perfect with any skin tone, and silver that feels like a “party in your feet.”