Mediacorp personality and DJ Sonia Chew may be the picture of cool-girl confidence now, whether she’s behind the mic at 987FM, commanding a stage, or even sending in an audition tape for a Netflix hit. But she admits she didn’t always feel that way.
Some people have a lucky charm or pre-show ritual that they absolutely must partake in before a big moment. For her, it was a specific pair of shoes.
“I used to have a pair of heels that I had to wear to make sure that I would host well. I know it sounds a bit superstitious, but for some reason, every time I wore them, I would kill it on the show. So, from then on, it became a ritual,” she told MS News.
Years later, Chew has a slightly less mystical explanation for their apparent powers: they were probably just really comfy.
“If not, you’re constantly thinking about how painful your feet are,” she said.
So when she was invited to design her first footwear collection with prettyFIT, she knew “comfort was definitely one of the priorities”.
“I used to think I could suffer for a really pretty but painful pair of shoes,” she said.
“But in my line of work, sometimes I’m standing on stage for four or five hours straight, so that’s not happening!”
Thankfully, comfort was one area Chew didn’t have to worry too much about when working with prettyFIT, nor did she have to trade style for something easier to move around in.
After all, the homegrown footwear brand has long positioned comfort as a key part of its designs, with features such as memory foam insoles, soft leathers, and plush cushioning worked into fashion-forward silhouettes.
With that taken care of, Chew could turn her attention to the other things she wanted from the collection, including one very specific requirement: a little extra height.
She was particular about incorporating some elevation into the designs, no matter how subtle.
“I’m a very petite person, and I know that in Asia, especially here in Singapore, there are a lot of petite girlies, too,” said Chew.
For instance, even the Charli Flats, despite their name, come with a slight lift rather than sitting completely flush with the ground.
She was quick to add, however, that those above 160cm are more than welcome to score a pair as well, since “a bit of elevation is always welcome”.
The Raye Sandals, meanwhile, take said elevation rather seriously, sitting on an 8cm heel.
They may look like the sort of shoes you mentally prepare to suffer in, but they were much easier on the feet than we expected after spending a full day in them ourselves.
A big part of that comes down to the padding and cushioning worked into almost every part of the shoe.
Chew said she also wanted the heel to still look “sexy”, but with a slightly wider, flared base that feels steadier underfoot and is less likely to get caught in the narrow grooves of escalator steps, soil, or pavement cracks.
Adding to that stability is the delicate but sturdy strap across the upper foot, which helps hold the foot more securely in place and makes the height feel far less precarious than it looks.
Rounding out the trio are the Billie Sneakers, the most laid-back of the three, with contrasting laces and a slim, low-profile silhouette that taps into the sleek retro sneaker look.
And if the vibrant laces alone aren’t enough, each pair can be customised further with silver charms shaped like microphones, headphones, and stars, adding another little touch of personality.
The microphone and headphone charms offer an early clue to one of the collection’s biggest influences: music.
As pop fans might have quickly noticed, each design is named after a female artist Chew admires, namely Charli XCX, Raye, and Billie Eilish.
While the three may look and sound very different, they share a quality she finds particularly compelling: “They’re unique, they’re unapologetic, they’re bold, and they really don’t care what people think.”
She also admires “how they’ve never lost their unique sense of identity, even though they’re so famous now”.
Those personalities come through differently in the shoes. The Charli Flats play on the contrast between Charli XCX’s grungier side and softer, babydoll styling, the Raye Sandals lean into old-school glamour, while the Billie Sneakers channel Eilish’s more relaxed, streetwear-heavy aesthetic.
But while some very famous women helped shape the mood, Chew’s ultimate reference point was much closer to home: herself.
Rather than simply pulling looks from fashion icons she loved, she thought about the shoes she kept returning to in her own wardrobe, the outfits she paired them with, and the occasions she actually wore them for.
“At the risk of sounding slightly narcissistic, I did reference a lot of my own outfits and style,” she said with a laugh, adding that it ultimately felt like the best way to keep the collection true to her.
As it turns out, Chew had quite a sizeable personal archive to draw from. She sheepishly admitted that the storeroom in her apartment is almost entirely dedicated to shoes.
“I have to ask my mum, but I think it has to be more than 50 pairs at this point,” she chuckled.
With that many shoes already in rotation, a footwear collaboration almost feels inevitable.
But if Chew gets her way, shoes may not be the last accessory she puts her name to.
Nothing is currently in the works, she stressed, but eyewear is another category she has always been passionate about, so perhaps a line of sunnies could be next.
In the meantime, the Sonia Chew x prettyFIT On Air. Off Air. On Point collection is now available online and at prettyFIT stores, with the Raye Sandals at S$79.90, Charli Flats at S$83.90, and Billie Sneakers at S$89.90.
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Featured image by MS News.