Blisters, corns and calluses; words that bring a spasm to your spine, and spell never ending agony. Our feet are the most important part of our body because we walk an average of more than 6 kilometres daily and yet we torture them over and over again by wearing ill-fitting shoes.
If it’s too much to ask you to walk around town finding a good pair when all you do is wince in pain with every step, take heart because UrbanWire has done the legwork and put together a list of top 10 shoe shops which promise to put an end to your misery.
Go on, be good to your soles.
VNC
Footloose
VP7628
Barcode
Pedal Works
Charles & Keith
Vivie
Beetle Bug
DMK
Noda
VNC
Citylink Mall
1 Raffles Link
B1-09
Tel: 6238-0804
Opening hours: 11 am – 10 pm
VNC is certainly no stranger to the shoe business. A funkier and shorter version of its original name Vincci, the Malaysian-owned company opened its first shoe outlet 30 years ago in Malaysia and has since expanded its operations to Singapore.
Since opening their first outlet here in January, VNC has attracted a faithful following. They even have their own Research & Development (R & D) team and the shoes are designed by locals.
Samantha Toh, Head of Operations for VNC Singapore says, “We sell shoes that any girl would want. We factor in affordability, quality and variety.”
Indeed, if you’re looking for variety, then VNC is the one stop place for you to get your dosage of heels, slip-ons, sandals and mules. With shoes that scream chic and stylish, you would expect them to be pricey but VNC delivers the goods at a good bargain. They have a wide range of comfortable trendy ladies’ shoes that make you feel like bringing the entire store home.
The shop has 4 main categories of shoes, namely Best Buy, Casuals, Formal & Boots. Shoes under the Best Buy category usually cost only $15.90 and without compromising on their designs or quality.
Most of the shoes are made from leather and some even have genuine leather soles, providing a comfortable and durable wear. If you’re worrying about seeing the same designs everywhere, you’ll be pleased to hear Samantha say that “VNC doesn’t repeat designs with the exception of a few popular ones”. They sell the trendiest slip-ons, mules, pumps, heels, sandals, slippers and even boots.
VNC also sells bags priced between $21.90 and $35.90. [top^]
Footloose
Heeren, The Annex
260 Orchard Road
#05-14
Opening hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Tucked in a cosy nook on the 5th level of the Heeren, Footloose is hard to miss because of their colourful array of shoes displayed. Once you go up the escalator, your eyes are bombarded by a visual feast. They sell a huge range of sneakers, sandals, and slippers that cater to both ladies and guys. Opened just 2 years ago, Footloose caters to mainly young adults and students.
Housing some of the trendiest footwear, Footloose draws shoppers to it like bees to honey. The ladies section boasts a variety of slippers, sandals, heels and slip-ons that catch your immediate attention with their attractive designs. The good thing about these shoes is that they not only look good but feel extremely comfortable too.
The men’s section carries a range of sandals, slippers, sneakers and track shoes. Their shoes look fantastic on just about anybody. The size range for ladies is 4 to 10 and for the men, they have sizes from 5 to 11.
Their shoes are affordably priced, and for a mere $10.90, you can get yourself a pair of trendy looking yet comfortable sandals. The prices start from a low of $8 (bargain buys section) and can go up to $100. However, most of their shoes are around the $20 to $30 range.
VP7628
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#01-50
Tel: 6341-9441
Opening hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Those who say that Singaporean designers have no talent should meet Jaz Lai.
Jaz is the owner of VP7628 and designs the shoes you see in their shop. Having studied fashion design in RMIT Australia, Jaz is no rookie when it comes to designing shoes. It appears that his designs are so good that “other shops have copied some of our designs”, says Jaz.
This 3-year-old company was originally situated at Toa Payoh Central under the name VP7. What started out as a family business set up by Jaz’s father has blossomed to become a trendsetter in the shoe business.
VP7628 opened at Far East Plaza’s Level One last November and they have since attracted regular customers.
Adeline Chua, 19, a student from Outram Institute says, “I love their shoes and I think they are very affordable.”
If you think these trendy shoes cost a bomb, then honey, check out the price tags from $15.90 to $59. Most of their comfortable yet cool-looking sandals and slippers would only put you back by $15.90. The heels, slip-ons and mules cost around $29.90 to approximately $34.90.
For the fashion conscious, you’ll be glad to know that the designs for VP7628 are tasteful and absolutely classy. And with shoe sizes ranging from 4 to 9, those with larger feet need not save up to fly to Italy. Any worries about wearing shoes on everyone else’s feet will evaporate since VP7628 only manufactures about 30 pieces of each design. [top^]
Barcode
Parco Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
#02-11
Tel: 6337-7391
Opening hours: 10:30 am – 9:30 pm
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#01-41
Tel: 6238-6227
What grabs your attention when you enter this urban modish shoe shop is its neat and clean layout.
Certainly enticing with its wide range of men’s and ladies footwear, Barcode boasts its own in-house designs by locals. Barcode opened its first outlet at Far East Plaza’s Level One last October and has since attracted a large following, catering mostly to young adults aged 16 to 35.
Jessica Kuai, owner of Barcode says, “We have regular customers who come every month when our new stock comes in … they like our shoes so much.” It surprises no one that their shoes are flying off the shelves when they have such unique designs.
What sets Barcode apart from other shoe shops is its lively play of bright colours that appeals to youths. “We get inspiration for our designs through customer feedback and overseas fairs,” says Jessica.
Sandals and sneakers are Barcode’s main focus and you’ll be glad to know that, like VP7628, they also have only 30 pieces of each design.
Considering the fact that their products are all made from calf leather, the price range of $33 to $63 for the ladies’ section is fairly reasonable. Barcode makes their shoes in Hong Kong and Korea. For gentlemen, the price range for the men’s section is $39 to $86. [top^]
Pedal Works
Tiong Bahru Plaza
#01-10
Tel: 6275-3800
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm
Don’t be stunned by the envious display of ladies shoes when you step into Pedal Works. This simple store stocks some of the more in vogue contemporary designs, which promise to bring a smile to any shoe lover.
Pedal Works has 5 outlets all over the island and is one of the most inexpensive one-stop shops for people with a weakness for shoes. With a wide variety of sandals, heels, slippers, slip-ons, and court shoes that cost a minimum of $19.80, you’ll be guaranteed a great buy at this shoe haven.
Helen Lee, 26, senior media executive says, “Pedal Works is my favourite shoe shop; I buy most of my shoes from them.”
We like what we see at Pedal Works. Their shoes are high in comfort yet low in price and they even have shoe sizes up to 9 to accommodate those with larger feet.
Definitely a pleasant place for sole therapy if you ask final-year Temasek Polytechnic student Cheryl Anne Fernandez. Cheryl said, “I prefer shoes that are comfortable and lightweight; and Pedal Works fits this criteria and yes, I just bought one of their comfy and affordable sandals for only $19.80”. [top^]
Charles & Keith
Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road
#B1-25
Opening hours: 11 am – 10 pm
This is definitely a runaway success story of a Singaporean duo. Brothers Charles and Keith Wong opened their first outlet in 1996 and haven’t looked back since. There are currently 14 Charles & Keith outlets in Singapore. As if that isn’t ambitious enough, they have franchises in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand.
Over the last 7 years, these shoe entrepreneurs have gained a strong customer base and by continually coming up with trendy designs, they have managed to maintain their stylish image. The shoes are not only extremely comfortable but also easy on the wallet.
Given their wide variety of sandals, slippers, heels and slip-ons, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Their sandals cost as little as $14.90 and you can easily get a pair of heels at $29.90. For a pair of beaded Indian-styled slippers, you only have to part with $36.
If you’re looking for a place where you can soothe your tired soles and not have to burn a hole in your pocket, then Charles & Keith is a place you can’t miss. Says Carrie Liauw, a final-year Temasek Polytechnic student, “I like Charles and Keith shoes because they are comfortable and don’t give me blisters.” [top^]
Vivie
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#01-93
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9:30 pm
At first glance, you wouldn’t have much of an impression of the brightly-lit place. But look again and you’d be surprised at the wide variety of shoes that Vivie has. Ranging from slippers to beaded sandals, strappy heels, sneakers and bags, Vivie certainly has everything under one small roof. With shoes as cheap as $9, you can guaranteed a good buy. Most of Vivie shoes are priced around $15 to $29.90. They have very faithful customers who can attest to that the quality of the shoes. Krystle Teo, a secondary school student says, “Normally I buy shoes that are comfortable and reasonably priced and Vivie is one such shop I go to.” [top^]
Beetle Bug
Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road
#B1-28
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9:30 pm
Okay, the name doesn’t even hint at what’s within. Beetle Bug does, however, promise a sprawling selection of dapper and groovy footwear. Selling men’s shoes at a reasonable starting price of $49.90, Beetle Bug is likely to satisfy any guy’s need to find something to fit his wardrobe. Storing shoe sizes from the fairly average range of 39 to 45, their comfy leather sneakers are the more popular.
Beetle Bug also houses some of the most stylish sandals and formal footwear. Sandals are priced at around $49.90 and appear in a range of refreshing designs that will entice you to buy more than a pair.
“A comfortable shoe is one that feels like you’re wearing a pillow for a shoe,” says Alexius Lim, a final-year Ngee Ann Polytechnic student. Beetle Bug’s higher range of formal footwear can cost to about $59.90 to $79.90 but it’s all money well spent because of the high quality calf leather used. [top^]
DMK
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#02-08
Tel: 6837-0983
Opening hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
DMK is no run-of-the-mill shoe shop since they are utterly serious about their aim to be the best shoe provider for women in the Asia Pacific market. Despite the the reasonable cost, DMK has an excellent range of sandals, slip-ons, heels, lace ups and slippers. Spare your tired feet a trip and you can even purchase their shoes online. Visit their website for more details.
With shoes at a bargain price of $16.90, this is the place for students who don’t want to starve for the sake of being fashionable. Most of their heels and slip-ons cost around $19.90 to $29.90. “I prefer a well engineered shoe and its durability matters most to me,” says a law undergraduate from NUS who only wants to be known as Julianna. Most importantly, DMK’s shoes are durable yet stylish and keep you guessing with their regular updates in designs.
Noda
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#01-71
Opening hours: 11 am – 10 pm
Noda welcomes you with a cheerful ambience via its lime green walls and flowery motifs. This place sells both men’s and ladies footwear at such economical prices that you have to pinch yourself. Most of their sandals are going for $19 and promise a blister-free walk. Available also are slip-ons and slippers and shoes. Stylish mens’ shoes cost about $39.99. Guys will be glad to know that Noda has a funky range of sandals and comfy sneakers.
People who are fond of typical street-wear styled designs will want to get their hands on these cool-looking shoes. What stops you in your tracks when passing by the shop is also their open concept architecture. Even with friendly sales staff always on hand, shoes are openly displayed and anyone can just pick up a pair and try them on with ease. It’s as simple as that.
