Baker's Qualicraft

[jetheelsfan]

Did anyone else find shopping there to be a great experience?  They may not have been the top best quality but the styles were some of the best styles when stilettos and height came back into style.  I always like their clearance sale at the end of the summer season.  They dropped the price each week of the sale until it was pennies on the dollar for a pair.  They had a few size 11s and I was able to squeeze into 10s back then but not now.  
Of course they have gone the way of Payless, Kinney, Nobils, Thom McCann, Butlers and a slew of others over the years.

[Jkrenzer]

I used to enjoy bakers shoes. They had a cutting sexy edge and your right the quality was mid of the road, way better than payless but just below nine west

[SF]

Ahhh, Bakers Shoes (C H Bakers out here on the west coast as I remember)...   Back in the 70’s when I was a teen (I have been attracted to gals shoes for as long as I can remember) I began to explore shoe shopping and found Bakers.  In those days gals shoes pretty much only went to size 10, and I was a size 10/11.  Bakers was one of the few stores that had some shoes in size 11, thankfully that has changed over the years. 

Those days I was shy/scared - I was just a kid - so I did not try on in the store, instead telling the store clerk that the shoes were for my “mom” or “girlfriend.”  I’m sure the clerk knew I was lying. 

I had several pair of Bakers “Qualicraft” sandals that I wore a lot.  I actually still have one pair of flat strappy sandals from Bakers. Haven’t worn them in years. Maybe I will drag them outta the closet this summer....   

Yes Bakers, great memories, a part of my world back then....  A guy who proudly wears gals flat and heeled sandals, love it...  

Have fun....   sf

[Bubba136]

Shopped at Bakers also back in the 70’s.  Back then, I could wear almost anything they stocked because of my woman’s size 9 feet.  

[CAT]

I sooooo wish I had a size 9 foot!!!!  Or a size 7 so I could share with GF !

[RonC]

isn't that the truth!

[Cali]

20 hours ago, CAT said:

I sooooo wish I had a size 9 foot!!!!  Or a size 7 so I could share with GF !

I bet you would even settle for a size 10,

like mine ...

[CAT]

Very true !  10 would be just fine 

[mlroseplant]

Bakers was before my time as a heeler, but I definitely remember the stores, and I remember that they seemed to carry some stuff that was really high and fairly radical at the time. Does anybody remember when the metal heels were in style? I think Bakers sold a lot of those. I don't think the style lasted very long, probably on account of them being fairly difficult to walk in. Here is a screen shot from the movie "Single White Female," in which the metal heels were used as a murder weapon. I do in fact own one pair of Bakers. They are really high and steep for a mainstream shoe. Or what used to be a mainstream shoe.

[jetheelsfan]

On 1/3/2020 at 10:22 AM, SF said:

Back in the 70’s when I was a teen, I began to explore shoe shopping and found Bakers.  In those days gals shoes pretty much only went to size 10, and I was a size 10/11.  Bakers was one of the few stores that had some shoes in size 11, thankfully that has changed over the years. 

Those days I was shy/scared - I was just a kid - so I did not try on in the store, instead telling the store clerk that the shoes were for my “mom” or “girlfriend.”  I’m sure the clerk knew I was lying. 

Your scenario sounds just about like mine.  I guess you are a few years younger than my arrival in 1953.  I too used the same excuse for looking and making the occasional purchase of a size 10 and really gave more than an 11 a closer look when on the clearance racks.  It was kind of a gamble making the purchase only to find they did not fit well.

On 1/5/2020 at 7:32 AM, mlroseplant said:

Does anybody remember when the metal heels were in style? I think Bakers sold a lot of those. I don't think the style lasted very long, probably on account of them being fairly difficult to walk in. 

Not sure what year it was but I bought a pair of red pumps with the metal Spike which ended with about a 1/8 inch diameter flat spot.  They were marked as a size 10 but they were a mismark of maybe an 8.  They had a silver bow on the back of the heel but my foot would not come close to slipping into those as they were.  I made the attempt to turn them into a type of sling back with a loop for a bow to tie them into place.  Almost but not quite successful of a redesign.  They were steep for sure.  

[DProud2700]

If your looking for any past Bakers Shoes, I recommend going to Poshmark.   When under their page look under shoes and then the brand.  I hope this helps.

[HiHeeler]

Lest we forget about Baker's Shoes sister store Wild Pair.....Awesome high heels!!…...Ah..The good old days

[SF]

Yep, Wild Pair was another good shoe store, I had forgotten about them.  Oh the good 'ol, days.....   sf

[RonC]

In thje Chicago area, we also had Malings and O'Conner Goldberg.  In the late 60's/early 70's, when about all you could find were relatively low blocky heels, O'Conner Goldberg continued to offer at least a small line of stilettos.  I gave them a lot of credit, as well as a fair piece of business, for continuing to offer decent heels during that late 60's/early 70's heel wasteland!

Edited January 22, 2020 by RonC

[Jkrenzer]

11 hours ago, SF said:

Yep, Wild Pair was another good shoe store, I had forgotten about them.  Oh the good 'ol, days.....   sf

I still have a few pair. Best truely sexy heels ever made by a midland qualify brand. Always cutting edge.