Hands and Feet

Shopping for Italian Shoes in Padova

Padova's beautiful scenery includes Italian shoes!

Padova is a very old city with stone bridges over canals and vine encrusted medieval city walls behind beautiful brick buildings. There are even some Roman ruins south of the train station. The city is situated along the Bachiglione River, between Verona and Venice. If you find yourself wandering about that train station (which can be a dangerous place) walk south immediately to the oldest part of the city.

 Padova is an amazing place if you like 13^th century architecture and art history. Its one of the Petrie dishes in which the Italian Renaissance was spawned.  I recommend visiting the Palazzo della Ragione, built in 1285 by the architect Leonardo Bocaleca. Admission is four euros and there's many stairs to climb, but the upstairs bathrooms are probably the best in the city. Inside the great hall there's over two hundred early medieval paintings on all four walls. I'm not kidding - it's overwhelming. The exterior architecture is amazing too, yet the western side is pretty much eclipsed by the Volto della Corda which was a pillory where prisoners were sentenced to be punished by ropes.

On Saturday the biggest attraction for savvy tourists should be the market fair that occurs in the town centre. The core of the city is an otherwise tranquil place filled with empty grass lawns, statues and fountains, but every Saturday morning its miraculously transformed into a cornucopia of commercial activity.

Veteran travelers know the best bargains are found in those places where the locals shop, and such places tend to be crowded. This is definitely true of the Padova Sat Market near the old town centre.

Tents filled with high quality Italian shoes dominate the west side of this trade fair. The shoes are made in Italy, and they smell like new leather. The best shoes are found in the seventy to eighty euro range. I bought a pair of brown Lanciotti shoes for seventy five euros.

My girlfriend Ruth had a great time exploring the woman’s shoes tents, which were endless, in the south western corner of the park. She said that almost all the shoes  there were made in Italy, and the cheapest shoes were often the cutest. She bought two pair for less than eighty euro, and is now proud of her new pink Italian pumps.

 

As you know I'm fascinated with foam footwear and I try to find shoes similar to Holey Soles whenever I travel abroad. In Padova I found some Italian foam footwear. The light green colored clogs in the picture are sanitary workers shoes perfect for restaurant kitchens and hospitals etc while the others are made for the beach.

 A five piece brass band with a very versatile drummer serenades the park. As we approached they became musically aware of Ruth and I and changed their song to seduce us with the opening chords of an 18th century ballad featuring a series of horn solos. It was effective. Ruth was overwhelmed with the romance of this musical spectacle - she felt like the leading lady in an Italian movie.  I was therefore compelled to deposit five euro into an open horn case, one for each of the artists. Roberrific

 

Holey Soles that's a good price!

 
A few weeks ago I walked around the City of Kenora, Ontario, Canada looking for affordable, lightweight footwear. Although I was specifically seeking Holey Soles, I was prepared to photograph and take note of any polyurethane foam resin clog. My quest carried me far and wide and into several sporting goods stores and clothing retailers in and around this great northern city.

 
In Zellers, which is a large vendor right smack in the middle of the village, I perused store shelves for almost an hour before eventually locating SOMETHING that was composed of both foam and rubber.

 
SPORTEK brand sandals are interesting space age clogs that must have evolved from running shoes. I can only imagine that some executives somewhere decided to present consumers with JUST the rubbery soles found on most modern cross trainers. Perhaps the success of foam clogs in the Canadian footwear marketplace warranted this innovation…

 
Immediately after I snapped some pictures, I was informed by a customer service representative that cameras are not allowed inside Zellers! Huh? It’s true. Just try and take a picture inside the store – the staff will swarm you like army ants and demand you delete all images. I guess this is because they jealously protect the innovative interior layout of their showrooms… Should Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire ever get their hands on a pictures taken inside a Zellers they could certainly out-compete this tired retailer.

 

After being grilled about my true intentions, and carefully inspected for any other signs of photo journalism, I was released back into society. Well not exactly – at that point I was escorted by Staff into the adjoining Zeller’s restaurant (which ALWAYS smells like greasy bacon, burgers and French fries) to meet the Walrus.

 
This master tactician came complete with a miniature radio and a cryptic name tag. He lectured me for hours on the values and concerns of Zeller’s merchandising ideology. Together we conversed for some   time. I call this man The Walrus because he is both wise and entertaining… and he physically resembles the sea mammal. While I listened he talked of shoes and ships and sealing wax, and of course, cabbages and kings. Eventually we concluded that pigs don’t have wings.

 
The shoes I had attempted to image on my digital camera were analyzed – Sportek sandals are very fine, and priced at $28 a pair. The Walrus informed me that these shoes were selling well and with summer approaching, he expected they would soon be sold out… But alas they were not for me. Why? Because they are ugly. When I asked The Walrus about Holey Soles he threw up his hands in dismay. ‘I don’t subscribe to that fad.'

 
After searching all manner of footwear stores and sporting goods stores in Kenora, I finally found Holey Soles hanging from a rack in the Home Hardware. ‘You had better buy th m soon.’ The nice lady behind the counter suggested, ‘They won’t be available very long…’ When I asked why, she confided to me that the emergence of Holey Soles each spring is similar to the appearance of the Trillium in the woods, and the presence of migrating Canada Geese in the skies overhead. These things don’t last long around here – this is cottage country, and those funky shoes are hot items on the Lake of the Woods

 
After a closer look, it’s easy to see why… Holey Soles are priced to sell! At $19.99 a pair, these shoes are an absolute steal. The soft and comfortable closed cell polyurethane foam comes in many eye-popping colours. Already there were gaps in the display where the most popular models were sold out. Without any additional market research I grabbed a pair of blue Providers and headed for the check out counter.

A trip to Holey Soles online

Any online shopper looking to buy foam footwear is almost certain to find Holey Soles in less than five clicks. At this colorful website distinctive sound bytes celebrate your appearance on every page the same way an eager pet follows a visitor around their house. The serenade sets a happy tone, but it can become repetitive.

So what’s with all the names? There is so much selection... At first I don’t see a whole lot of difference between each model – then I look closer. I ask myself, ‘is there method in this madness?’

First up in the Classics collection is The Explorer. I notice this model offers junior sizes, which they call ‘critters’ - I’m not sure why. The Explorer seems designed for off road adventures. It’s quite rugged with smaller side holes so big sticks can’t poke your toes, and this model has a large but optional heel strap to ensure the clogs stay on your feet. The website says they’re good for climbing ladders and messing around in the back yard with your kids. It comes in fifteen different colors!

The Provider on the other hand is a rather guarded design with no open holes in the front of the shoe. I suppose that’s because the providers among us have to be careful with their feet. The website says this model offers protection against spills and keeps your feet warm in cold weather and of course that’s because some providers have to work outside. Extra heel protection was added to this model to meet Canadian Occupational Health and Safety guidelines in hospitals, and in food preparation areas and other institutional settings. 

I couldn’t help notice that there are no child sizes available for the Provider - children cannot be providers. I also notice that this model only comes in three colors – black, white, and navy blue.

The Social looks the most like a flip flop – there is no heel so the owner can more easily slip them on and off and thereby significantly increase his sociability at cottages and indoor / outdoor house parties. Like the explorer it’s available in fifteen colors so the social types among us can really raise some eyebrows. Friends of mine tell me that this shoe is the most comfortable design. I pause to wonder why – perhaps it’s the unique side holes or the shape of the heel? 

On the Holey Soles website, below the Classics section there is another line of products - more beach ware and summer time fun. The Getaway is a wild looking foam footwear creation – I think maybe this is second generation thinking. Check out the rubber soles*. Parents will be eager to know that the getaway comes in smaller sizes, and again for some strange reason, they are called ‘critters’. I guess if I had kids I’d know why they are called critters. Perhaps when they’re covered in mud from Tarzan’s jungle or full of the sand from the dunes around ancient Egyptian ruins they may resemble… critters… I don’t know. Seems to be more holes in the sides are bent back to suggest speed and agility. The whole shoe just looks like an adventure waiting to unleash itself on your foot!

*Hold up, the big innovation in the Getaway model appears to be the rubber sole. I love how they have made it a complimentary color! This second generation foam shoe has a two toned color combination on the bottom. And just check out the turquoise and green combo – it’s fetching. This is the shoe I’m buying. I’m ordering a size ten and half today and my next entries on this site are sure to chronicle my adventures wearing these marvels.

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