Shoes unlike clothing is always way out ahead of what's actually in fashion. Meaning that the styles and colours of a season is decided way before clothes fashion is decided.
Last week I was looking at the Fall 2008 Camper collection. Yes, we're not even in Spring yet! The sales guys usually come to town and get a swanky suite downtown. I personally hate having to see collections this early. The manufacturing of shoes is much more of factory process and maximizing efficiencies is always the primary goal. So a huge lead times add up to having to order so far ahead.
The problem is that every season there's a shoe look that every brand/manufacturer is saying is the must have style of the season. The look was decided so far in advance it's not a for sure fire hit. In my experience that chosen style has a very poor chance of really making it big... being right 1 out every 4 or 5 times. It may be on the radar for the Carrie Bradshaw types of the world but it usually doesn't gain general acceptance nor sets my sales on fire.This year, the Granny Shoe is supposed to be the hot style. Every Fall season at Kris + Cris we have a variation of a Granny Boot. It's always been a reasonable selling style for us. I don't get the feeling this won't take everyone by storm.
This is Camper's variation of the Granny boot. Notice the twist they add but doing in patent and off colour toe.
