TOP SELLERS

While Wisconsin is world renowned for its prized cheeses, it has yet to garner a reputation for stylish shoe boutiques. Yet take one step into Russell Levin’s Picardy Shoe Parlour and you’ll find yourself among a plenitude of high fashion names and styles with a practical and chic edge. “We’re the only better grade shoe stores primarily in the state of Wisconsin,” Levin tells WSAToday.com. “In our part of the world, we don’t have a lot of major department stores—no Saks or Neiman [Marcus] or anything like that. We provide the kinds of things that you’d find at stores like that.” For 23 years, Levin and his family have run their stores—one in Brookfield and the other in Mequon—stocking them with brands like Marc Jacobs, Badgley Mischka, Givenchy and Michael Kors.

This fall, Levin has “seen the peep toe craze” and notes that “there are more people looking for lower shoes for everyday or even for dress.” Metallics, especially bronzes and pewters, performed strongly, as did the classics—gray, black, brown and navy. But the one thing that never goes out of style, says Levin, is that search for the perfect outfit—from head to toe. “[People] buy shoes to fit their needs and according to what is appropriate for the outfit they’re trying to put this with,” he says. Here are just a few of the shoes his customers chose to complete their looks.

Peep-toe pump by Giuseppe Zanotti Design

Price:

Retails for $560

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“This is a pewter metallic leather peep-toe pump on a 2.5-inch heel with a little bit of gold hardware—a gold buckle on the vamp. The material interest was there. Gray was a very strong color for the season; we sold gray better than expected. It was a shoe you could wear all year round because it was pewter. A lot of Zanotti shoes are very high in heel height, but I think we sold it well because of the fact that it was a moderate heel height—it wasn’t extreme.”

Orbit by Prevata

Price:

Retails for $250

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“It was a basic pump, which is something that is a hard commodity to find,” explains Levin. “It was basic and it was one of the only basic shoes we had in our store in terms of a mid-heel pump. We had it in five different colors, and it sold in all of them.”

Capital by Stuart Weitzman

Price:

Retails for $280

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“It was a cap-toe pump on a rubber bottom and it came in a gray, graphite color and a bronze color. Again, I think it was classic, yet it had some style to it and the comfort factor was there. It was a Chanel-looking kind of shoe. The comfort was great.”

Russo by Bettye Muller

Price:

Retails for $450

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“It was a black high-heeled slingback peep toe done in a fabric with a black patent fleck to it. It was beautiful fabric. It did well because it was so interesting and special-looking. It was fabric that Chanel had used in their clothing. They’re different, but still very wearable,” says Levin. He has nothing but praise for designer Bettye Muller. “She’s a great designer.”

Nasty by Aquatalia by Marvin K.

Price:

Retails for $495

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“We had that boot in black and brown. It’s a tall stretch leather boot on a mid-heel—just a nice, great, everyday boot. The comfort factor was there and so was the waterproof factor.”

Ballet Flat by Emilio Pucci

Price:

Retails for $390

“It was a multi-color ballet flat done in grays, amethyst and navy. It had a multitude of colors in it that were great for fall. It was your classic ballet flat.” Levin doesn’t foresee the flat going away anytime soon. “People are getting used to it and they like them. I don’t know if the classic ballet is going to stay, but flat shoes are very important in the market place right now.”

Tabia by Donald J Pliner

Price:

Retails for $230

Why It’s A Top Seller:

“This is a black and brown shoe-boot on 20-inch chunkier heel. It did very well. It’s a microfiber and croco mix. I think it did so well because it was a nice, classic slip-on boot.”

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