mskim61 Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 Hotpeppers,Siamanto,Western Ranch,Polly of California and numerous others are know defunct in North America. And yet, Italian Heels. Elite, Fuss, Jean Gaborit,Peachy shoes and others are still producing semi custom shoes. i would love to order from these companies, but the language, currency and shipping questions are a big hurdle. There must be someone in Canada or the USA who is qualified,skilled and interested in this unique market. Here in the USA we are flooded with man made materials and shoes mass produced in China. Perhaps retirement in Germany or Italy is not such a bad idea for high heel enthuiasts!
5150PLB1 Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 I remember back in the late 70's and early 80's from The Centurions catalogs from Southern California you used to be able to get coustom made shoes and boots. You would select the shoe or boot size, style, color, heel shape and height- like you would order a meal a la cart at a restaurant. It did not take that long to get them made also- except for ballet heels. Those days are long gone. The Centurions catalogs from that era are now classics.
ftbt Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 There must be someone in Canada or the USA who is qualified,skilled and interested in this unique market . . . Perhaps retirement in Germany or Italy is not such a bad idea for high heel enthuiasts! Probably several reasons: 1. If you are talking about the more extreme or fetish styles, the actual market is, no doubt, quite small. At the end of the day, you are talking about a lot of time, effort and money to set up such a business for a relatively "unique market." It has been done. When we had our shop and sold fetish clothes, we would buy a lot of shoes and boots from Gino Spiro (Little Shoe Box) in London. I have been to his shop/factory many times. If you saw what the actual shoe factory looked like, you would be amazed ... it was a dingy, crappy looking back-room shop that was literally something you would expect out of a Dickens novel! His shoe makers were these old, crusty gentlemen that looked like they were from "central casting." From all outward apearances, Gino certainly had a "corner on the market" during his time, but his business didn't continue on very long after he retired. 2. Making shoes/boots by hand is quickly becoming a "lost art." My hunch is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled people to actually make shoes the "old fahioned way." And, an adjunct to that would be the direct labor costs both in Canada and the US. 3. The market is flooded with product from the Orient (read: China). While the quality might not match what you can get from Italy or Germany, you certainly can't argue about the price. (Cheap and Cheerful) It seems that most people are price conscious. And, in case you haven't heard, there are now even major Italian fashion designers who are having some of their clothes made in China (who would have ever thought). 4. Retirement in Italy is not bad (other than the shrinking dollar vs. the euro). We are doing exactly that. There is a big shoe manufacturing area in northern Italy not far from Milan, in and around Parabiago. Big names, think Fratelli Rosetti and the like, and small names, like Claudio Morlacchi, who makes great shoes in small runs for a lot of prestigious french designers. Generally speaking, factory discount shopping has taken off in Italy, and you can actually visit many of the manufacturers and purchase direct (either seconds, last year's models, or odds-and-ends) for a fraction of retail. Honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for anything to happen in the US or Canada. Maybe it is time to start looking seriously in Italy!
gary0618 Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 Check out this web site. Company is in Chicago. Custom shoes, boots, and larger sizes. http://www.skyscraperheels.com/index2.htm My favorite Boots from their Site. FLAT SHOES, LIKE FLAT DRINKS, ARE FOR FLAT PEOPLE
Dr. Shoe Posted October 12, 2007 Posted October 12, 2007 Hotpeppers,Siamanto,Western Ranch,Polly of California and numerous others are know defunct in North America. And yet, Italian Heels. Elite, Fuss, Jean Gaborit,Peachy shoes and others are still producing semi custom shoes. i would love to order from these companies, but the language, currency and shipping questions are a big hurdle. There must be someone in Canada or the USA who is qualified,skilled and interested in this unique market. Here in the USA we are flooded with man made materials and shoes mass produced in China. Perhaps retirement in Germany or Italy is not such a bad idea for high heel enthuiasts! Firstly, the european companies with the exception of Jean Gaborit are just retailers. None of them make their own. But what about Ellie, Pleaser and Tony Shoes? These are all American brands that are still in business although the shoes themselves are made in China... Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
mskim61 Posted October 15, 2007 Author Posted October 15, 2007 So if all of the companies that I specifically mentioned are retailers, who(are) the manufacturers/wholesalers? And why can't they find a retailer in North America to disribute their product? Seems to me they are missing out on a large market. Then there is the fact that Ellie and Pleaser do not do semi custom work. I for one are not looking for mass produced, man made material shoes
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