A question that never gets old in the fashion circles of the world, are designer shoes worth the investment? The answer to this question at present day would make the forefathers of Manolo Blahnik proud, many decades after its slow demise in the fashion world (and a few global financial crises later). And, despite turbulent climates in our current economy, Malaysian women are surprisingly soldiering on with their mission to own more than just one or two pairs of designer shoes within a year.
Image: The Coveteur
Based on a survey of 1,000 women across Malaysia & Singapore commissioned by Chic Outlet Shopping, a collective of nine shopping Villages across Europe in collaboration with their Spring 2016 campaign aptly named, “The Secret of Shoes” which takes forth the concept of a little black book of memoirs dedicated to the stories our shoes bestow us with discovered the extent of which Malaysians are screaming murder for a demand and supply in footwear as we enter a positive shoe revolution.
BAZAAR picked some shoe stats on the national Malaysian landscape that might just surprise you (on the contrary, one might also be alarmed.)
- 81% of Malaysian women spending an average of two weeks a year looking for the perfect heel.
- 77% of respondents admitted to topping up a secret designer shoe fund every month
- Over a lifetime, the survey indicates women in Malaysia spend up to RM130,000 on shoes
- RM85,000 of the RM 130,000 average annual expenditure is reserved for designer shoes.
With such results it only comes hand-in-hand that these soaring figures come from a good reason. The study unveiled that 60% of women admit to going to great lengths to travel with their new purchases – and who in Malaysia’s bustling employment landscape does not want a holiday of any sort just to to retreat to a sea, farm, resort, jungle or mountain to escape the city conundrums.
However, as superficial as the study might sound, nearly one in three women in Malaysia wear up to a two inch heel, nearly half go higher for a job interview, while 36% increase their height to supermodel proportions for a date. Is it worth it? Yes. A quarter of respondents admit to forming their first impression of someone based on their shoes.
But for those who struggle with the big national shoe dilemma, you are not alone but if the garnered results below stay consistent one might just meet your destined sole mate in no time. An infographic spells all the facts and figures that outline Malaysia as true custodians of ensuring our feet deserve the finest.
Infographic courtesy of Chic Outlet Shopping
Fittingly enough, The 7th Malaysia International Shoes Festival 2016 is happening from the 29th of April 2016 to the 1st of May 2016 with the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and Malaysia Footwear Manufacturer Association (MFMA). An antique show showcase by vintage haute couture jewellery collector Antonia Ghazlan awaits the style mavens along with fashion shows from the likes of our local designers, Zang Toi and an autograph session with Professor Datuk (Dr) Jimmy Choo.
