Moving from woo-woo to mainstream, healing crystals have been showing up in products designed for head to toe— embedded in water bottles, skincare, cosmetics, fragrance (Kim Kardashian West’s crystal-inspired vials) and now luxe shoes.
Former Jimmy Choo publicist turned reiki master and yoga instructor Mariah Lyons launched crystal-bedecked Astara footwear in, where else, Venice. Not just made for chic walking, these shoes promise to make you feel better, too.
A flat open-toe sandal crafted from vegetable-tanned leather comes in three colors: pink with rose quartz to foster love and harmony ($355), black with onyx to ground and protect ($369) and taupe with clear quartz to enhance intentions and heal ($425). A blue hue with apatite stones to help balance emotions will be added to the collection in October, a bridal-specific style will launch in February and a strappy flat sandal and high-heeled sandal are also due out next spring, with plans for boots and mules in the works, too.
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Haley Bennett, Whitney Port and celeb stylists Wendi and Nicole Ferreira and Erica Cloud have all been spotted wearing Astara sandals; Lyons says she’d love to see crystal lovers Katy Perry and Uma Thurman in her shoes, too.
Handcrafted in downtown Los Angeles, the sandals are primarily leather because “rubber blocks our ability to absorb energy from the earth,” says Lyons, who cleanses the stones with ocean water, palo santo sticks or sage and then charges them with moonlight or sunlight in Venice, where she lives and works.
“Since they store energy, you can program them with specific intentions and they will hold that vibration and radiate it,” Lyons explains.
Beyond the energetic power of the crystals, Lyons says that each Astana sandal contains a proprietary metal chip programmed by a company in New Mexico to the 7.83 Hz frequency known as the Schumann Resonance. (The NASA website dubs it “a repeating atmospheric heartbeat” created by combined electromagnetic waves formed by lightning.) “It’s subtle, but you feel grounded and supported and your nervous system calms and you sleep better. This frequency has been shown to promote harmony and balance within the body as well as protect against electromagnetic radiation,” she explains.
Next year, Lyons hopes to open a pop-up shop in L.A., where she already teaches crystal workshops at The Den Meditation; her next class is on Saturday. Click here for info.
“People want to feel better and they’re looking for new ways of healing,” says Lyons. “I’m fascinated with how fashion is going to move in that direction of blending with wellness.”
