The newest look in shoes, the “Louie,” is slightly off center, yet fashion forward. Think of it as a Hush Puppy with a twist.
These sturdy shoes, designed for comfort and practicality, lace up the side, not the center. Cathy Harshman, the Northbrook woman who brought the “Louie” to mainstream America, first saw the shoes last year in a catalog from a small outdoor gear shop in Boulder, Colo. They are made by the Austrian footwear manufacturer Richter.
“I got them just for the different look,” said Harshman, a wife and mother of two young daughters. “They looked comfortable and I was hoping they would be.” She loved her pair and got several compliments. “Never have I been stopped on the street for a pair of shoes so much.”
With her artistic and management background — she was a ballet dancer and has managed several art galleries — she saw the opportunity to bring the Louie to Chicago. She sold the first batch to small area stores from her car and, when orders poured in, later became Richter’s exclusive U.S. distributor. Now, the shoes are carried at Hanig’s Footwear and at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom’s department stores nationwide.
Technically, the Louie is a “hafel” shoe. The original design appeared in Austria in the 1700s for farmers and hunters who walked the Alps. It’s easy to see why the unisex shoe would be comfortable. A leather-lined cushioned footbed, supple arch support, rounded toe and padded ankle collar cradle the foot; the double-folded tongue keeps out dirt and moisture; and the fine leather upper is hand-sewn to the sturdy, jagged rubber sole. The sidelacing takes pressure off the instep as well as the tendons and blood vessels that run across the top of the foot.
Plus, in colors and textures ranging from brown pebbled calfskin to black and white patent leather to red nubuck, the Louie is just plain cute. The young son of the owner of that Colorado outdoor store dubbed it the “Louie” after his favorite of the Disney cartoon ducklings, Huey, Dewey and Louie. The Louie line includes boots and slings, comes in sizes for men, women and children, and ranges in price from $155 to $200.
Not your mother’s Keds
Before Reeboks and Air Jordans, there were Keds, an American footwear classic in basic colors and styles with a reputation for being durable, washable and comfortable. This year the company, a division of Stride Rite Corp., decided to shake up its stolid image by letting American clothing designers have their way with the sneakers. The Keds Salutes Great American Design program began this fall with Todd Oldham.
“We felt the need to re-establish Keds fashion relevance,” said Mary Obana, vice president of marketing for Keds. “As a young, up and coming designer, Todd had sensational fun with the shoes. He gave them an attitude that is consistent with the brand name.”
What the irreverent designer did with Keds will certainly cause shoppers to do a double-take. The Keds Champion Oxford lace-up now has a platform heel with a navy canvas top.
On others he left the heels low and gave the uppers a canvas leopard print, a multi-plaid cotton poplin and a gold-tufted print (an Oldham signature) canvas. The lace-up bootie gets a stacked heel and is covered in black corduroy and more leopard. The slip-on’s heel rises in the back — the white heel topped with caramel corduroy and the black heel with a black watch plaid.
Oldham has also lined each shoe with his gold-tufted print and taken the square blue Keds label that comes on every shoe and re-shaped it into the crown he uses on his clothing designs.
These casual and refreshing designs will look just right with this fall’s corduroy skirts and pants, shimmery fabrics and animal accents. Todd Oldham for Keds designs retail for about $40 and can be purchased at select Bloomingdale’s stores and through Bloomingdale’s by mail at 800-777-0000, at Nordstrom department stores or by calling 800-428-6575.
The next American designer who gets to play with Keds: Cynthia Rowley, whose line will be available in spring 1998.
