You would’ve never guessed it when she walked in.”
Rosenstein points out that it’s often tastefully dressed women 45-years old and older, such as business executives and married women with teenagers, who buy his 5.5-inch Christian Louboutin Yoyo – probably because they can afford them at $850 a pair. These women are all about wearing statement shoes – that is, sexy heels that turn heads the way luxury sports cars do for some men. And while they cost far less than a V12 engine, shoe collections can be just as loud.
“When we started in 2004, people thought this was really high,” said Rosenstein, holding up a 3-3/4-inch Christian Louboutin pump. “Then, in fall 2005, we got the first almost-five-inch heel with a stacked platform base. Now, people say, ‘That’s so low – I want something higher.’ ”
Enter the six-inch stiletto, which comes with multiple stacked platforms at the toe end.
“It really started this summer. They are super-extreme,” Rosenstein said. (Incidentally, stripper shoes can reach eight inches and cost about $40. They’re usually made of synthetic materials and feature shoddy workmanship, hence the cheap price.)
Luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian louboutin have been churning out their own take on mega heels from gladiators to wedges.
This fall, Gucci will release a thigh-high boot that comes with a 5.9-inch stiletto and a platform of 1.7 inches. Part of the platform tiers are embedded in fabric, while part is exposed. They’ll be available at Holt Renfrew flagship stores across Canada,Louboutin Shoes, costing $3,350.
“We would never buy 100 pairs (of the Gucci boot) for Canada,” said Christian Lavergne, senior buyer for Holts Canada shoes, putting matters into perspective.
Rather, Lavergne said, Holts will start offering more styles at mid-heel heights, around three inches, catering to the average customer who can’t walk in sky-high stilettos – and who doesn’t buy wildly expensive shoes. “In our fall inventory, above 105 mm (4.1 inches) is very small.”
Lavergne predicts that statement shoes will no longer require killer-high stilettos to make an impact, and that mid-sized heels will come back into style. But he said some women will continue to wear heels no matter what the trend forecast said. “Some of our customers will go grocery shopping in four-plus inches minimum. She barely knows how to walk with a flat.”
