Exclusive Footwear Ltd, based in Gillygate, York, is hoping to come out top in the Women In Enterprise category.
It was launched in 2005 by Frances Chalmers, who said she was inspired to found her own shoe empire after an unsuccessful hunt in York for a pair of designer shoes to give her husband.
Her shop, in Gillygate, is accompanied by a website - and stocks top designs for men and women.
The former IT sales director, who launched the business only six months after giving birth to her son, Alexander, said: "I spent months visiting shoe companies and travelling to Milan and London putting together our winter collection.
"It was quite tough because not only had I just had my son, but many of the shoe designers I approached turned me down point blank.
"In the end, I went to meet with three of them personally in London and told them to get on board or miss out. I came back with all three of them signed up."
Two years later, Frances is about to give birth to her second child, but is still managing to juggle work and family life and is now turning away designers who want to be represented by Exclusive Footwear.
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