Volleyball superstar Gabby Reece reveals how her 'challenging' size 12 feet led to her tomboy style
Former professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece shot to fame when she won the first-ever Beach Volleyball World Championships in 1997, and she went on to make history as the first female athlete to design a shoe for Nike.
Now, more than 30 years later, she has partnered with a different shoe company - teaming up with podiatrist-beloved Vionic as their first ever well-being ambassador.
Reece, 55, collaborated with the California-based brand because of her focus on size inclusivity, as the retired athlete is six-foot-three with size 12 feet.
In fact, The New York Times bestselling author even wrote a book that jokingly referenced her footwear issues called My Foot is Too Big For This Glass Slipper.
'Don't get me started on how many times I have tried to shove my feet into shoes that didn't fit,' Reece told Daily Mail.
'I was a size 11 when I was younger, and shoes were only made up to a size 10 for women,' Reece continued.
After she gave birth to her two daughters kids, she realized she had become a size 12, which made her relationship with footwear even more 'tumultuous and sometimes frustrating.'
Plus, she said it was 'challenging for things to look cute in those larger sizes.'
Reece collaborated with the California-based brand is because of size inclusivity, as the retired athlete is six-foot-three and has size 12 feet
While she laughs about it now, she admitted that there were days where she was desperately trying to find shoes she 'wouldn't regret' wearing right after she walked outside.
Many times, the model explained that she would craft her outfits 'to work around whatever shoes' she could find.
And now, she wondered if her 'tomboy style' stemmed from her difficulty procuring footwear since she'd often choose men's loafers since it was easy.
Back in her modeling days, she would often pose barefoot.
'I always felt like it wouldn't be worth it in the long run to suffer with an uncomfortable pair of shoes or shoes that did not fit, but I certainly tested that out several times,' Reece admitted.
The podcast host told the Daily Mail that she joined forces with Vionic because their 'values align - science first, then fashion.'
When Vionic first approached Reece, she had already been wearing the brand for a few years.
She was excited to make a shoe with them because since it was the first sneaker she has done since becoming the first female athlete to design for Nike.
She's focusing on creating the highest performing walking shoe that Vionic has ever made, infused with new technology, but still meeting her aesthetic sensibility
'I went into that process with the same exact intention that I'm going at developing this shoe with Vionic,' Reece told the Daily Mail.
The role was also a fit because for Reece, it's part of her everyday life with her husband, surfer Laird Hamilton, 61.
'Wellness is more of a value than something we do,' Reece admitted, adding that they often think about the things they can do everyday to take care of themselves.
'Not to be perfect and not to never enjoy chocolate cake, but to have a practice in place that continues to support vitality,' she said.
'Not to mention, if your hope is for your children to be healthy, your best shot at that is modeling those rituals versus speaking about them.'
She and her husband share two daughters and parent his daughter from his past marriage to surfer and clothing designer Maria Souza.
Now, her workouts are all about about performance, 'but not the type you need for sport,' she said.
Instead, she focuses on 'working on her weaknesses so that she can do all of the things she wants to do forever.'
She still has a strength training practice, and has added water workouts, more walking, and more effort towards her recovery.
'I have been fortunate to be with my husband for almost 30 years and wellness has been something we share, but we both also independently have a personal relationship with,' Reece shared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Real Housewives of New York star demands $10 MILLION from ex-fiancée over bombshell claims
Real Housewives of New York star Racquel Chevremont is accusing her ex-fiancée, famed artist Mickalene Thomas of harassment, financial betrayal and years of unpaid work. The Bronx-born art curator and model is seeking a minimum of $10 million from Thomas over these explosive allegations. In a court paper, obtained by Chevremont says she worked as Thomas's strategist and dealmaker from 2012 to 2022, brokering multimillion-dollar sales and acting as her liaison in the art world. In a summons and notice filed in New York State Supreme Court on August 8, the reality star declared her hope to 'redress for years of exploitation, nonpayment and unlawful conduct.' 'From 2012 to 2022, Ms. Chevremont, who is also Ms. Thomas' former fiancée, contributed immeasurably to Ms. Thomas' artistic and commercial success, acting as a strategic advisor, and liaison to galleries, collectors, and institutions,' the filing states. 'Despite these work-related contributions, Ms. Chevremont was paid improperly for more than a decade, both as an employee and under a written agreement effective January 1, 2021, as well as for compensation prior to 2021 and for multimillion-dollar deals she negotiated on Ms. Thomas' behalf.' Chevremont also claims Thomas, whose work hangs in MoMA and Jay-Z's office, subjected her to a 'hostile and abusive work environment as well as quid pro quo harassment.' 'While Ms. Chevremont ended their personal relationship in 2020, Ms. Chevremont and Ms. Thomas continued to work together. During this time, Ms. Thomas repeatedly and improperly pressured Ms. Chevremont to resume their romantic relationship, and ultimately terminated Ms. Chevremont's employment, in violation of New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws, when she made it clear that this would never happen,' Chevremont claimed in the filing. She also alleges Thomas promised her 20 percent commissions — then 'illegally diverted' the money into her own company. has reached out to Thomas' representatives, but have not heard back. Neither Thomas nor Chevremont's teams have publicly commented on the matter. Chevremont and Thomas first met in 2002, but did not begin dating until 2011. They got engaged in 2019 on New Year's Eve. They split just one year later. Chevremont has since moved on with her current fiancée, Mel Corpus. 'Mel and I, we've been friends for over 12 years,' Chevremont said in her first RHONY episode. 'We were very single when we got together, but there was a bit of a scandal. There were a few people that were not all that happy.' Alicia Keys previously called Thomas 'a mastermind at conveying poignant messages through striking visuals.' 'Mickalene herself is walking art,' the singer wrote for Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2025. 'She has such a distinct presence and aura that it's impossible not to feel inspired by her. The art and the artist both are bold, fearless, and fierce.' According to GLAAD, Chevremont 'was discovered by photographer and model scout Steve Landis for Elite models in 1993.' Over the years, she has landed campaigns for Benetton, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Fila, L'Oréal and Nivea. She's also worked in the art world for more than two decades, and, even, joined the acquisition committees of the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum back in 2003. Chevremont is also the founder of The Josie Club, a space dedicated to honoring queer Black women's lives and achievements. She previously admitted that she struggled with her queerness and publicly coming out. 'I'm what you'd call a later in life lesbian and when I first came out I lost a lot of people,' she said. 'I believe that because of my age and my accomplishments I didn't care what anyone had to say, I didn't feel the need to prove anything to anyone.' She added: 'I had spent my entire adult life in the fashion and art worlds so while my personal life might have suffered my professional life didn't really skip a beat due to my queerness. I was lucky to be a part of two industries where queerness is embraced.'
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Austin Butler reveals how he built a perfect 'thick' behind with carb-on-carb diet
Austin Butler has laid bare the saucy secrets behind the process of transforming into an alcoholic ex-baseball player for his new movie Caught Stealing. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film stars Austin as athlete-turned-bartender Hank Thompson, who becomes enmeshed in crime in 1990s New York. In order to attain the physique of an erstwhile sportsman, the 6'0" actor embarked on a diet and workout regimen that propelled him from 150lbs to 185lbs. Now, the 34-year-old sex symbol has revealed that there was a particular body part where Darren especially wanted him to add bulk. 'I actually have a whole section of just baseball players' a**es that he would send me,' Austin dished to Men's Health. 'He was like: "Look how thick they are!"' His meal plans helped him develop a figure that fit his character's dissolute lifestyle - generous helpings of pizza washed down with beer. Although he indulged in alcohol for the job, he shared: 'Drinking has never been my thing. I don't like the way it makes me feel.' Beth Lewis, who prepared Hugh Jackman for Deadpool & Wolverine and has worked on other films like London Has Fallen, was Austin's trainer for Caught Stealing. The exercise routines she put together for him included 'a ton of hip thrusters,' which enabled him to build up his derriere to the extent required. However his new curves came with a downside, as he confessed: 'I've got a whole section of Celine pants that I just can't even wear anymore.' When he and the Black Swan director first began to discuss working together on Caught Stealing, Austin was particularly slender because he was in the midst of awards season and his nerves occasionally made him forget to eat. Austin has put himself through a variety of different diets for roles, including the doughnuts and molten ice cream he consumed for his Oscar-nominated turn as the King of Rock 'n' Roll in the 2022 biopic Elvis. His eating habits were quite different for his upcoming part as a hitman in the A24 thriller Enemies, opposite The Bear star Jeremy Allen White as a detective. For Enemies, he pursued the goal of a sculpted figure by relying on protein - chicken kebab, omelets and steak - and exercising seven days a week. His meal plans helped him develop a figure that fit his character's dissolute lifestyle - generous helpings of pizza washed down with beer The musclebound physique he had in Dune: Part Two came with the help of Navy Seal-turned-trainer Duffy Gaver, who has worked with a string of top-flight names including Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt. 'He just ramps up the weight, so you're just getting heavier and heavier,' said Austin. 'I remember him telling me: "Chicken, broccoli, brown rice, and lift, motherf***ers."' Despite his dedication, Austin is not above indulging in a cheat meal, which for him means: 'French toast, pancakes, pizza, and pasta, all at the same time.' With a formidable cast including Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Bad Bunny, Matt Smith and Liev Schreiber, Caught Stealing is slated for release next Friday, August 29.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chicago Med star Natalie Zea makes hilarious remark while in a bikini... after two year social media break
Hollywood actress Natalie Zea is back on Instagram after an unexplained two year break. The wife of Scrubs star Travis Schuldt was seen in a skimpy bikini with a fur jacket falling off her shoulders and a lit cigarette in her hand as she posed by a swimming pool. The star had on oversized brown sunglasses as she wore her blonde hair down while enjoying the desert heat of Palm Springs, California. 'Available for corporate events, children's parties and funerals. She's back!' joked the beauty whose looks have been compared to Blake Lively. The Texas native was last seen in season nine and 10 Chicago Med; she played Jackie Nelson, an Emergency Department Nurse at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Before that she was on three seasons of the time-travel series La Brea about a mysterious sink hole in Los Angeles. Zea is also known for her roles in Justified, The Following, and Californication. She launched her career on the NBC soap opera Passions from 1999 to 2008, and also had roles on The Shield and Eyes. In 2020 Natalie and Travis talked about working on their soap opera Passions. They had to lock lips during the auditioning process for Passions, they shared on their podcast Passions For Life. 'There we were, our first kiss, and it was at an screen test!' said Zea. Though there were fireworks, they were friends first and did not start dating until 2003. They then got engaged in 2013 and wed in 2014. Together they have daughter Reygan. First it was Schuldt who described how he got the soap opera. Travis said he auctioned for Passions when he was 24-years-old and a limo was sent for him. 'I fly into LA, get in a limo and was taken to the Sheraton where I ate dinner. I thought I had made it!' And though the soap opera was not his dream job he wanted to land it, 'I went out to the audition just to prove I could do this.' Zea asks if he wanted the job and he says he was not sure. 'At first you don't want it... but the time you get there, you want it,' he said. 'I went in, we went to NBC studios and we ended up shooting the scene on Extra's set. The TV show.' He said the audition went 'awesome' and he felt good about it. 'I was cocky and arrogant, a 24 year old white male. But then I got the job!' He added that people asked him what it was like, he said he felt like he won the Golden Ticket. Zea then said her audition experience was different - as in not as easy. It was after an audition season that she found 'grueling'; she was in NYC at the time. 'My agent called and said before you go home, there is this soap opera... I didn't have a choice, I was desperate, I had read for every soap opera at the time and didn't get any of them,' she said. She said she was only 25-years-old at the time. 'I tested and did fine I guess, they said they would tell me by X date and it was a very long time, I was waiting for the call, I was out of money, I had to give back to bartending in New York. 'They called and said I did not get the job, which was fine, I tended to bar, I did a play, I did extra work, then about a year later after Gwen had been cast... I get another call they want me to audition for Amanda,' the former model said. She then added, 'I was like F**k it I will do it.' Natalie went to the sound stage to shoot the scene with Travis. She said he her first impression was that he was 'lovely and kind and warm.' They also did their first kiss during the screen test. 'There we were, our first kiss, and it was at an screen test!' She went back to NYC and did not get the part because they dropped the character. Then Natalie she was called again to audition again for another part; she worked with Travis again. 'I show up on set and he is lifting hay bails naked from the waist up,' she said. 'It was so nice to see a friendly face and we did the scene.' Travis then shared his pay on the soap was $750 an episode which shocked him because he was a serious regular.
