Sun, 10 Feb 2002

Shoe designers keep one step ahead

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

Women's love of shoes is not only the stuff of Cinderella. The right pair of shoes improves appearance, serves as a status symbol and provides their own sartorial satisfaction.

The willingness to invest in a good pair of shoes has kept shoes designers a step ahead while other businesses wilted in the crisis, especially as foreign brands became exorbitantly expensive for many customers.

"I see the situation for what it is. The chart for shoes sales has been quite good in recent years," said Yongki Komaladi, a top male model in the 1980s who has been designing shoes for 10 years.

Auk Murat, also a former model, designs made-to-order models. She has created many classic, feminine and exclusive models for special events such as weddings, engagement parties and other ceremonies.

"People still need shoes for special events, so sales of shoes are quite good. But, casual shoe sales are doing less well," she said.

Shoes are highly marketable products at present thanks to the influence of fashion trends. While accessories like earrings, necklaces and bracelets have decreased in terms of their role in style in recent years, shoes have emerged as an important element in defining if people are fashionable.

"The need for shoes now comes from the high as well as the low levels. People in the middle and lower classes have now become aware of fashion, including shoes. These people are used to wearing casual sandals, while the high class have started buying local shoes on the grounds that they can obtain 10 pairs of shoes for the same price as one of a top international brand," said Yongki, whose shoes sell for Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000.

In terms of design, shoes have continued to refashion over the last decade. Shoes with high, thick soles, or platform shoes, made their return in the early 1990s, although they have long been favored here because they give added height.

In the mid 1990s, when many donned micro-styled attire, shoes were also designed in firm and compact models. Pumps, with a square-shaped edge, gained popularity, especially among active women. Known as "modern" shoes, they allowed users to step freely without hurting their toes.

In line with fashion trends that called for accessories to be embossed with embroidery, beads and sequins, there were beautiful slippers or mules. Their popularity increased with the triumphant return of the kebaya (traditional Indonesian blouse) to mainstream fashion, as the two are an ideal match.

Sandals, open around the heel and the toes, hit it big at the end of the last decade and remain popular because they accentuate a woman's femininity.

What will we be stepping out in this year?

"Sandals will remain adored and will develop, with either a straight or slightly curved stiletto heel. They'll look more playful due to bright colors, accessories of flowers or beads, or color combinations," explained Auk Murat.

This style of shoe will be preferred for special events at which people usually seek special, distinct, striking and expressive footwear.

Sandals not only show off the feet, but they are also flexible enough to be combined with various types of clothing, starting from casual through to evening wear, compared with pumps, which are better suited for work.

They are also highly suited to the tropics as they do not cause the feet to become damp and smelly.

Yongki agreed that sandals would remain popular, but he had also noticed that women continue to pick shoes with basic colors, leather-made and those with soles that were thinner at the bottom than the top. Black and white were the characteristic colors of his collections.

"The designs of shoes remain simple, with a straight or a crossed stringshoe at the front and another at the back. There is a combination of materials or soles, which are merged with contrasting colors so that wearers appear a bit sexy," said Yongki.

Besides sandals, close-toed shoes, whose front is slightly square, will be selected over pointed ones.

Ultimately, shoe designers have to really care about the tastes of their consumers. Yongki said that, from his experience, they chose models that were comfortable, practical, fashionable, inexpensive but not mass-produced.

Yongki always makes his collection as a limited edition, producing about 50 pairs of each model. Auk continually emphasizes the principle of "something different". She uses unique colors such as fuchsia, shocking pink, gold or bright blue to set her models apart from the mainstream.

Both have to keep innovating in the increasingly competitive shoe market, particularly in facing the import of products from several Asian countries, such as those from China and South Korea, which are generally well-priced and of good quality.

In the end, whatever consumers choose, the shoe designers hold to a special philosophy about their products. Yongki said shoes had to be more comfortable than clothes or other accessories as too-small shoes would leave an enduring, bad impression for the buyer.

"If a dress is too small to wear, we can still deal with it. Yet, too-small shoes will upset the feelings, emotional state and even hurt the health of their user," said Yongki.

Auk said shoes were the "dessert" in the grand feast of dressing correctly. Their role is as important as the attire, bag and accessories. They should not be an afterthought.

"Everyone should check his appearance from top to bottom and select the right shoes to give a proportional and ideal appearance."