All she knows is that the woman’s name is Elizabeth Best. Through a letter in The Age last year, Ms Best inspired Ms Smoljko to realise her dream of opening a shoe store for women with plus-size feet.

Her Ascot Vale store, Glamazon Shoes, already offers women’s shoes for sizes six to 13, but next year she plans to add sizes 14 and 15. And it’s all thanks to the inspiring words of a stranger.

“People don’t realise how much their words can touch other people,” Ms Smoljko said. “Her words have helped me realise a dream I’ve had for decades.”

Standing at more than 180 centimetres and with her own feet a size 11, Ms Smolkjo said she had always struggled to find shoes.

“I love shoes, like every woman, but I used to take whatever I could find,” she said.

“There was nothing out there so I would cram my feet into size 10 shoes just to have something nice.”

Ms Smolkjo wants to repay Ms Best with a pair of perfectly fitting shoes as a thank you for inspiring her dream.

“I’m sure she’d have no idea of the impact of that one letter,” she said. “She started the chain of events that led to this.”