Raleigh inventor not kicking back after landing Nordstrom deal

Heather Bridgers said she has scuffed too many high heels to count, and when the leather tears, the shoe is ruined.

"Women have a financial and emotional connection to their shoes. When they ruin it, it absolutely ruins your whole day," Bridgers said.

Three years ago, the Raleigh attorney developed Just for Kiix, which is basically an invisible protector that sticks to a shoe heel, protecting the surface from nicks and cuts. A package of two sells for $10.

"You smooth it out with your finger, then you just peel off the perforations so it fits your particular heel," she said.

Bridgers has been selling them online and at a few local shops, such as Kristen's Shoe Boutique in Cary. Two weeks ago, however, Nordstrom started carrying Just for Kiix in 20 of its stores around the nation.

"I actually cried, and I'm not a crier," Bridgers said of getting the news from Nordstrom. "It's so exciting to have that happen after three years of hard work."

She is leaving Tuesday for a month-long tour of Nordstrom stores to promote Just for Kiix, which is made and packaged in Durham.

She plans to expand the business to include other ways to protect shoes and said she hopes the Nordstrom deal is the start of something big for the Triangle.

"We have a lot of work ahead," she said.