Freda Salvador

Local co-designers Megan Papay and Cristina Palomo Nelson make wear-everywhere shoes that can tackle San Francisco's steep terrain without sacrificing style. The duo launched their label in fall 2012 with a collection of convertible leather ankle boots and snakeskin-print leather loafers that were an instant hit among Bay Area style bloggers. (Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle caught on shortly thereafter.) Since then, the pair has branched into chunky heeled booties, multi-strap sandals, and wedge sneakers, all artfully displayed across bookshelves and coffee tables in their Cow Hollow design studio and shop. The store itself looks more like an it-girl's apartment, decked with mid-century modern couches, repurposed theater seating, cowhide rugs, and artful vignettes that mash up family heirlooms, fashion collages, flea market ephemera, and glamorous depictions of the store's namesake, Frida Kahlo. Though the shoes are distinctively chic, they're built for the long haul. Palomo Nelson hails from a family of shoemakers, and the collection is produced at one of their factories in Spain.