Sorry folks, this is not going to be a very favorable blog post. I am not actually reviewing any footwear, I am reviewing the Shoe Fair that is going on from today until Sunday at the Monogram Virtua Convention Centre.
I had actually not even heard about this Shoe Fair until a couple days ago when someone asked about it in a fashion blogger group. I was a bit surprised that it had escaped my notice, I do speak with a number of shoe designers fairly often, and I recalled how prior to the last footwear expo a few of them sent me sneak peeks and let me know that I could expect some new items to be shown. Not the case here.
Though the flyers allude to 30 footwear designers, I saw no evidence of that number and plenty of empty stalls. I also saw very little, if any, new footwear offered. Although a few well known designers are represented, such as Fussy, ZHAO, and Enkythings - many of the designs I saw have been available for months, while other vendors seemed to be stuck in a bizarre time warp... platform blinging stripper shoes, anyone?
Holding an event as auspicious as a Shoe Fair is certainly a huge amount of work to pull off, and I give the organizers props for the attempt, they do have a nice line-up of entertainment and a runway show planned. I just didn't feel that it was all that it might have been, and in the end that was the major disappointment.
If you are interested in checking out the fair, or would like to see the line-up of entertainment planned, you can visit the convention center here.
I had actually not even heard about this Shoe Fair until a couple days ago when someone asked about it in a fashion blogger group. I was a bit surprised that it had escaped my notice, I do speak with a number of shoe designers fairly often, and I recalled how prior to the last footwear expo a few of them sent me sneak peeks and let me know that I could expect some new items to be shown. Not the case here.
Though the flyers allude to 30 footwear designers, I saw no evidence of that number and plenty of empty stalls. I also saw very little, if any, new footwear offered. Although a few well known designers are represented, such as Fussy, ZHAO, and Enkythings - many of the designs I saw have been available for months, while other vendors seemed to be stuck in a bizarre time warp... platform blinging stripper shoes, anyone?
Holding an event as auspicious as a Shoe Fair is certainly a huge amount of work to pull off, and I give the organizers props for the attempt, they do have a nice line-up of entertainment and a runway show planned. I just didn't feel that it was all that it might have been, and in the end that was the major disappointment.
If you are interested in checking out the fair, or would like to see the line-up of entertainment planned, you can visit the convention center here.
3 comments:
I'm a shoe designer and I was asked to show at the Shoe Fair about 3 days before it opened. I just couldn't put together a booth or anything in the time. And that was the first time I had heard about it. I really hope someone's gonna do a Shoe Expo like last year's. It was SOO great!
It's really a shame, and I too would love to see a shoe fair that really showcased the best and the up-and-comers on the grid. Let's hope someone picks up the torch on that one. :)
This postis so old, and I'm sorry in advance for comming, but I am so glad I've finally been able to read something about that other shoe fair! I heard a little about it, but not very much. I hope the "official" shoe fair (come on, let's give it the official moniker!) was better and up to what you think it should be :)
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