Ruth's Story

Ruth has carved a life path by walking through new and unfamiliar open doors with an open mind ready to embrace what she finds on the other side with vigor and curiosity, always using her creative skills to forge into new and exciting adventures. She has been fortunate to learn from exemplary role models, leaders and teachers along the way - a perpetual student, she remains in contact with more than a few. While a maker at heart, she is first a student and will tell you that in college, she studied Journalism, and Women’s Studies where she learned about the telling of important stories. At her first job out of college, she organized medical conferences in, and sold computers to, the government of the Former Soviet Union, quickly developing the enterprise into a NFP and becoming it’s Executive Director. At that job, Ruth will tell you that she experienced what it was like ‘to do that which had never been done before’ - what others had said was impossible (one of the conferences was tagged … The greatest pleasure in life is doing what others say you can not do.) . This profoundly changed her belief structure around what she could undertake both professionally and personally. During that time she earned her MBA at the JL Kellogg school of Management. She studied marketing, not-for-profit, statistics and game theory, honing her problem solving skills and underscoring her understanding that if you don’t ask, you most certainly will never get. From there she took a position in a CPG company quickly moving her way up to Brand Manager for New Product Development where she was able to engage her out-of-the-box thinking (skills which came in really handy during the next years when she took time to raise her 3 small children and growing family!) It was during this time that she began to more fully understand her Meyers-Briggs profile, ENTP (which stands for Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking, Perception but is really defined as the ‘devil’s advocate who enjoys shaking things up and pushing in new directions – never wanting to do the same thing twice, making up only 3% of the population ENTP’s thrive on creating new and original ideas’). Not surprisingly, after a few years at home, Ruth knew it was time begin exploring new ventures again. Interested in designing and hand making footwear, she went back to school, completing the fashion program at SAIC with a focus on footwear. She believes this latest academic endeavor truly capitalized on all of her skills. Making shoes involves math/game theory (her true love), telling stories, and creating. It requires her to constantly learn new skills and regularly take on a new set of problems (her deep seated need to trail-blaze), and the process takes advantage of her strong out-of-the-box problem solving skills in order to create art. Each new shoe design provides all of these challenges in spades. She believes that every experience in her past has brought her to this point. To hear her tell it, she takes little credit for the amazing opportunities that have seemingly dropped in her lap. However, not everyone would have so fiercely and fearlessly ventured down those unfamiliar paths that have ultimately brought her to where she is now, and knowing Ruth, she will continue to surprise even herself as she moves through life.

ABOUT RJ SELRAEF

Ruth Jennings is the design force and maker behind RJ Selraef Shoes. Ruth has been hand making bespoke shoes, one pair at a time since 2015 in the RJ Selraef studios, working on refurbished shoe making machinery from the early part of the 20^tth century. But don’t let the age of her equipment fool you, her designs are as fresh and modern as they come. She helps clients to complete the perfect outfit, feel their best, and go out to conquer the world! A coveted pair of shoes can easily become a prized possession.

Each pair of RJ Selraef shoes is one-of-a-kind and custom fit for clients by appointment only. Starting with the design process, each pair is perfected through precise measurements and bespoke techniques. While the paper design is usually the starting point, much of the development happens in 3-dimensional space while working with uncommon materials. One of Ruth’s favorite parts of the process is the sourcing of leathers and other unique textiles. Ruth travels around the country to meet with her suppliers and acquire her materials. Much of her inspiration comes from her components and she has an extensive leather library in her studio (one of her favorite walls!), where she spends many hours working her designs. Often though, her final product develops from a back and forth between drawings and material manipulation, and she swears that she does her best drawing work on the plane (where there are no distractions), so her buying trips are incredibly productive from a creative standpoint.

While Ruth’s designs are desirable as footwear, they are also art, and have been displayed as such. Her work is whimsical, witty, using materials that are both visually and tactically evoking.