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Someone asked me why I'm the shoe guru at QVC. Why am I so into shoes? My first thought was that every girl loves shoes! It's a part of who we are! Then I thought of how I've been honored to be part of FFANY Shoes on Sale at QVC since the first year in 1995. That year I went to many of the shoe designers in New York City and learned so much about the shoe industry from these major players. Through the years, we've seen so many styles and so many designers become part of our annual event benefitting breast cancer research and education.

But then I thought there must be another reason why I'm so tied to shoes, and suddenly it hit me! It's in my DNA. My grandfather died long before I was born, but he was a shoemaker from Italy. He came through Ellis Island as a young man, bringing his craft with him from the Abruzzi region of Italy. My beloved father used to tell me stories of how he worked with his dad in the basement shop of his home. Even though my dad's career went in a different direction, he kept the knowledge of shoemaking with him his whole life. I remember when we were little and bought a new pair of shoes, we would show them to our dad and he would inspect them, making sure the leather was good and the stitching was perfect, or back they'd go to the store!

And then there was my mom, who had the best shoes from the ’40s and ’50s that I played with when I was young. I distinctly remember clip-clopping around the house in a red pair of high heels. She loved shoes! When she was a student at Immaculata University in the ’40s, other girls would be in saddle shoes and she had on her peep-toe high-heel pumps! So, just like everything else in life, I've gained so much, learned so much, and been doubly blessed by a mother and father who now watch over me from heaven.

—Jane Treacy