KEY POINTS:
NEW YORK - With 100,000 pairs of designer shoes across 10,000 square feet, it is a footwear celebration that not only dwarfs the collection of Imelda Marcos, it warrants its own postal code.
New York City's famed Saks Fifth Avenue department store opened its new shoe floor on Friday, where prices range from US$210 for a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes up to several thousand dollars for Chanel boots.
"I think it's amazing. I was a little overwhelmed at first," said Kristin Atkinson, 21, who works in public relations and lives in Manhattan. "It's hard to pick just one because high-end shoes are the best. You can't go wrong."
With three times more shoes and brands like Jimmy Choo, Christian Dior, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Jonathan Kelsey and Burberry, women could be heard proclaiming it "shoe heaven."
"Wow, I have been coming to Saks to buy shoes for like 20 years so this is great. The more the better," said Terry Gallo, who lives in Manhattan and works in advertising.
"I have very narrow feet so I am limited to brands like Ferragamo, Prada and Stuart Weitzman. The rest of it I look at, it's like candy but I can't have it."
In a marketing ploy with the US Postal Service, the eighth floor department has the ZIP code 10022-SHOE, along with an express elevator, a VIP shopping room, expert shoe repair and two cafes.
"I don't think any of us could have dreamed we would have our own ZIP code associated with a shoe department," said Steve Sadove, chief executive of Saks, who helped officially open the floor with "Will and Grace" actress Debra Messing.
But while the Saks designer collection well and truly overshadows the 1,500 pairs of shoes found in former Philippine first lady Marcos' closet, it is still only half the size of Macy's shoe collection, which extends beyond designer shoes.
- REUTERS
