Image by Birdies Slippers

On May 19th, millions of viewers from around the globe will set their sights on the wedding dress Meghan Markle will be wearing as she approaches her real-life Prince Charming. But for Marisa Sharkey, her eyes will be cast downward, at the soon-to-be Duchess’ feet. She is hoping Markle will wear ‘The Songbird,’ an exclusive pair of ‘Birdies’ slippers.

Sharkey is the Jewish half of the entrepreneurial duo behind Birdies slippers, which launched in 2015 when she and her friend-turned-business partner, Bianca Gates, were looking for something they could wear while entertaining at home that wasn’t socks or frumpy slippers. They combined their expertise in business operations, corporate strategy, sales, and marketing and filled the empty white space of the shoe industry with functional, comfortable and. most importantly, stylish footwear that can be worn indoors or out.

“Our PR team thought about interesting people who could serve our brand,” says Sharkey, a native New Yorker who, along with Gates, now lives in Northern California. “Meghan Markle was at the top of the list. She is a feminist, has a philanthropic platform, and a classic and effortless style.”

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The Birdies co-founders sent Markle a pair of their bestseller, ‘The Blackbird.’ The brand went viral in 2017 after the actress was seen wearing the shoes on Cyber Monday—one day before her engagement to Prince Harry was announced.

News of the impending nuptials inspired Sharkey and Gates to design ‘The Songbird’ bridal slipper especially for the bride-to-be.

“Brides typically wear a beautiful robe [with] flip flops on their feet while getting ready with their bridesmaids,” Sharkey says with a laugh.

In contrast, ‘The Songbird’ was created with duchess satin in a light blush color, a pearl-embellished heel, a decorative pom pom, and the brand’s signature quilting that is found in all of the different Birdies styles, such as ‘The Wren,’ ‘The Goldfinch,’ and ‘The Robin.’ Following in the footsteps of ‘The Blackbird,’ they shipped the custom-made slipper off to Markle.

Will Markle wear ‘The Songbird’ as she preps for her big day? That’s still TBD, but you can certainly wear a pair at your own royal wedding viewing party.

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