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Shi e for the von ‘Pp . Stars’ among the celebrities who have discovered the comfort of ‘Sallazzo’ and more... For a Port Perry-based shoe business, it’s all about getting the slippers on the right feet. Sallazzo Slippers, located on North Port Road, did all that and more last year when. their custom-made, patent-pending ballet slippers were part of the goodies provided for female attendees at Michael Bublé’s wedding reception. The shoes were sourced online by the event planners working on the Bublé nuptials, and even highlighted in an E-Talk report following the event. “When they’re starting to find us, it’s pretty exciting,” says owner and long-time Port Perry resident Sharon Bayliss. “It’s hard to be found in this work.” Being discovered online by such a high- profile couple may have been a surprise to Bayliss, but the fact that her slippers were a hit were not. “Our shoes are comfort on the go.” That's why the slippers, individually hand- sewn from two-way stretch, knitted nylon and embellished (at least for the wedding) with Swarovski crystals, were the perfect match for the Bublé celebration. Bayliss bought the slipper company, then known as Big Star Sandy Shoes, in 2006. She was actually the bookkeeper for the busi- ness that had gone up for sale, and “over coffee, I mentioned my interest in purchas- ing the company,” says Bayliss. “I moved it into my husband’s garage, and operated it out of there for three years.” The company grew and relocated to its current location on North Port Rd., Port Perry, and added staff like production man- ager and creative designer Karen Brittain. “Karen helped us refine it, and we have the product we have today,” says Bayliss. The spacious workshop at Sallazzo Slip- pers has large work counters, bolts of pastel nylon, sheets of soft grey leather and a huge lease turn to page 27 Owner Sharon Bayliss with a few of her line of Sallazzo slippers. Photo by J, Peter Hvidsten FOCUS - JULY 2012 21 07. JULY FOCUS 64 pages.indd 21 12-06-25 11:16 AM