Who started it? After moving to the Fragrant Harbour in 2003, Melbourne native Jen Webb would spend hours scouring Hong Kong for affordable shoes. “I see shoes as reflections of our personalities and I couldn’t find anything in the market that represented me. I am not super-feminine, so I started BlkSheep Empire to cater to women like me, but I didn’t really know if there were others out there like me. Thankfully, there were.”

Why we love it: the shoes are funky and colourful. The staple Oxfords and velvet slippers are made original with splatters of paint and quirky, embroidered motifs. And a great new range of sandals in bright coral, blue and tan has rustic, rattan-effect straps – an easy way to liven up a simple outfit of shirt and jeans, or show off a tan. “The styles reflect ease and simplicity but the colours are bold and confident,” says Webb. “They scream independent women kicking ass in their careers and life!” We can get on board with that.

What we’d pick: we love the Skye sandals (above; HK$700) and Jackson Pollock-esque Martin Oxfords (top; HK$1,200).