Matt Bernson: Where Did the Once-Popular Shoe Designer Go?

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Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Julianne Hough, Jessica Alba, and Lily Collins were just some of the celebrity fans of boots, flats, sandals, and shoes by Matt Bernson. The footwear label ceased operations in September 2018.

Originally from New York, the footwear designer launched his eponymous label in 2004 after buying a sandal in a marketplace in India for his then-girlfriend, now wife and mother of his two children.

Footwear designer Matt Bernson and Olivia Palermo at his shoe store in Tribeca in 2012Footwear designer Matt Bernson and Olivia Palermo at his shoe store in Tribeca in 2012 (Credit: Matt Bernson Facebook)

All shoes were made in high-quality small-batch production facilities in Portugal, Spain, and China.

In 2017, Matt Bernson decided to shutter his retail stores, and he released the following statement:

Matt Bernson has made the decision to join the list of brands and retailers who’ve chosen to shut down brick-and-mortar retail shops in order to put more focus and dollars behind its expanding e-commerce channel as well as support their amazing retailers who buy at wholesale and carry the collections year after year. Matt Bernson will be closing both its Tribeca and Westport locations during the month of May 2017.

The designer launched his first collection of handmade sandals 10 years ago in his Tribeca studio. Since then, Matt Bernson has expanded its product offerings to include sandals, heels, flats, sneakers, boots and booties, as well as an array of small leather goods and jewelry. Over the past decade, the brand has opened two retail stores, collaborated with a variety of brands and models on various collections, had successes in both department stores and online retailers, and gained a loyal fan base of high profile celebrities including Gisele Bündchen, Ashley Greene, Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift and many others. Matt Bernson will continue to operate and design from a studio located in Tribeca.

The strategic decision to move away from brick and mortar retail was emboldened by the strength and growth of mattbernson.com and key flourishing retail partnerships. The brand can now further increase wholesale opportunities and keep up with the increasing and quickly shifting demands of digital shopping habits. This was the most vital element in the decision making process. The full Matt Bernson collection will continue to be available on its site, with select styles sold at Shopbop, Anthropologie and many other top retailers across the country.

In 2018, Matt Bernson also closed down his footwear label’s website. After consulting for a year for Steve Madden, in 2019, he joined Kate Spade as a consultant to re-launch footwear in-house within Tapestry.

Matt Bernson’s Fall 2011 Collection: Comfort Meets Style

Matt Bernson is one shoe designer whose style evolution has been well-documented in our network of blogs.

He started with the gladiator sandal, which was the style that became a big hit among celebrities and made him a household name.

It took him a while to ensure that his heeled styles had the same comfort and wearability as his flats, but he eventually introduced some wedge sandal styles.

He then moved on to more covered shoe styles such as ballet flats, loafers, and oxfords until, finally, to this season’s pumps and boots.

Matt Bernson shoe styles

Matt Bernson admitted in an interview with Très Chic Now that in the beginning, he “overcompensated for lack of confidence by using embellishment.”

As his confidence grew, Bernson shifted his focus from form to function. His designs started emphasizing construction techniques, precise cuts, clean lines, and high-quality materials, moving away from using jewels, studs, and beads that characterized his earlier work.

Despite this style evolution, one thing that has remained constant in his designs is the “casual everyday feel” that they exude. This enduring quality has made every Matt Bernson shoe feel like the perfect go-to everyday footwear choice.

One shoe from the Fall 2011 collection that perfectly embodies that statement is this ‘Mesa’ bootie:

Matt Bernson Mesa stacked blade heel lace-up bootie in tan suedeMatt Bernson Mesa stacked blade heel lace-up bootie in tan suede

It seems simple enough. But wait until you see it from the side and the back:

Comfort has always been a priority for Matt Bernson

That isn't just a stacked heel but a blade heel

This is where the “construction, cut, line, and material” come in. That isn’t just a stacked heel but a blade heel, a very thin stack leather that gives the look of a heel but all the comfort of a wedge.

Matt Bernson has always prioritized comfort, which is probably why his shoes are an astounding success.

You can check out some of Matt Bernson’s Fall 2011 shoes below and see just how far Matt Bernson has come from his jewel-embellished sandal days.

Some motorcycle boots, alpine boots, and shearling-lined boots are also included in the Fall 2011 collection:

Matt Bernson Pan Am stacked blade heel pumpLeopard pony Pan Am stacked blade heel pump, $218.00

Black pony Pan Am stacked blade heel pump, $218.00

Snow leopard pony Pan Am stacked blade heel pump, $218.00

Matt Bernson Jardin stacked heel bootieBlack Jardin stacked heel bootie, $218.00

Grey suede Jardin stacked heel bootie, $218.00

Matt Bernson Dune stacked wedge heel bootieBlack suede Dune stacked wedge heel bootie, $240.00

Quercia Maranhao Dune stacked wedge heel bootie

Matt Bernson Mesa stacked blade heel bootieOlive suede Mesa stacked blade heel bootie, $218.00

Black suede Olive suede Mesa stacked blade heel bootie, $218.00