The shoe department is open for business.Photo: Getty Images
The new shoe department at Saks opened this morning, and, much as we’d love to gush about it, we can’t. Don’t get us wrong: It’s nice. It’s very nice, and it’s a major upgrade from the well-to-do-suburban-mom-attempting-to-be-fashionable selection the store formerly offered. But we’re shoe addicts, and we were expecting more. The floor was buzzing with camera crews, waiters were serving breakfast munchies, and salespeople were announcing every two seconds how proud they were of the new space. They had the patent-leather Miu Miu spectators for sale, and the two-tone Pradas with the curved heel. They even had our knee-high Chloé boots, with the gold zipper going up the calf. But what they also had was way too many logos for our taste: Gucci, Chanel, and Dior; sneakers, loafers, and ballet flats.
That’s great for tourists and label lovers, but we were looking for, say, teal Louboutin studded boots and flats. And what was Stuart Weitzman doing among his high-end counterparts? Sure, the upgrade in the quality of designers offered is great — two big thumbs up for Alaïa and Atwood — and the express elevator to the eighth floor is a big plus. Kudos to Saks for recognizing the department needed an overhaul; we just would like to have seen tighter edits in the selection. —Aja Mangum
