The Shoes. A Confession.
If you are traveling to Brazil, or contemplating a move to Brazil, I must
tell you about the shoes.
Last year when I visited Brazil, I bought 13 pairs. No, I did not buy any
Haviana's, my husband always buys those for me when he travels to Brazil and
frankly, they are only $20 at home anyway, not a priority for me when I was here.
I did buy shoes though. And bags. Brazil has some fantastic shoes: unique and well priced. Available in all the colours of the rainbow in every style and type of leather you can imagine. If you plan to be in Sao Paulo and love shoes, you must must must go to the shoe store street in the Moema area. It is truly fantastic. When I visited it last year, the power went out that afternoon and I was unable to use Visa. I don't think I had ever felt that degree of panic before in my life. Luckily, I returned the next day. And bought, well, most of the 13 pairs of shoes I purchased in Brazil. How did I get them home? Where there's a will, there's a way. By the way, I paid an average of $40 CDN per pair of shoes, all of which were leather and of excellent quality, many in styles I would either never find at home.
Apparently it's even better in Argentina!
My personal favorite shoe store in Brazil: Jorge Alex, address: R. Canário, 1240. The other stores are in close proximity to the store, from looking at the map I am pretty sure they are on Avenida Cotovia. The area is called Moema. It is close to the Ibirapuera Shopping Centre. Th etop address shows the location of the Jorge Alex store, which is a couple blocks away from the main drag of stores.
Rio also has some very good shoe stores, along Rua Visconde de Piraja in Ipanema, mostly.
Happy shopping!
I did buy shoes though. And bags. Brazil has some fantastic shoes: unique and well priced. Available in all the colours of the rainbow in every style and type of leather you can imagine. If you plan to be in Sao Paulo and love shoes, you must must must go to the shoe store street in the Moema area. It is truly fantastic. When I visited it last year, the power went out that afternoon and I was unable to use Visa. I don't think I had ever felt that degree of panic before in my life. Luckily, I returned the next day. And bought, well, most of the 13 pairs of shoes I purchased in Brazil. How did I get them home? Where there's a will, there's a way. By the way, I paid an average of $40 CDN per pair of shoes, all of which were leather and of excellent quality, many in styles I would either never find at home.
Apparently it's even better in Argentina!
My personal favorite shoe store in Brazil: Jorge Alex, address: R. Canário, 1240. The other stores are in close proximity to the store, from looking at the map I am pretty sure they are on Avenida Cotovia. The area is called Moema. It is close to the Ibirapuera Shopping Centre. Th etop address shows the location of the Jorge Alex store, which is a couple blocks away from the main drag of stores.
Rio also has some very good shoe stores, along Rua Visconde de Piraja in Ipanema, mostly.
Happy shopping!
Yes, they are good quality! I have a pair I got in Sao Paulo that I still wear 2 years later. I like A/Z Calzature in Sao Paulo best, although finding my size in Brazil has always been a problem... :(
Posted by: Mei | April 11, 2008 at 09:54 PM
Oh, I miss them! But at least I can ask my mom to buy some for me! ;-)
Beijos
PS: I was wondering what part of Canada are you guys from? I'm living in Cochrane/Calgary area.
Posted by: Thelma | April 13, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Thanks for the comments ladies! After my spree last year, I think some of our friends are coming here just for the shoes...
Posted by: DRL | April 14, 2008 at 09:31 AM
most female shoes in Brazil are made in my city, Novo Hamburgo (Rio Grande do Sul state).
Its the main shoe producer city in Brazil, although Paulistas will tell you its Franca. (they THINK it is).
Novo Hamburgo produces shoes since the 19th century, was the first place in Brazil to export shoes, etc. Even the national association of shoes producers are located here.
China has been robbing quite a few jobs from Novo Hamburgo and Franca on the other hand. There is a guy here that has 15 shoe factories in China... because chinese labour is even cheaper than brazilian labour (and actually, labour in southern brazil is more expensive than in other parts of the country, so many local factories have also been transfering production to the northeastern states)
Posted by: AcesHigh | April 19, 2008 at 04:33 AM
AcesHigh, are there ares in lot of stores in Novo Hamburgo as well? I might have to visit them for research purposes....
Posted by: DRL | April 19, 2008 at 03:39 PM
Well, there are. But nothing out of extraordinary thats worth a visit. The city is the center of a shoe PRODUCING cluster (the largest in south america, used to be largest in the world until China surpassed us).
But since its not a touristic city, there is not really a reason to have many stores and such.
For example, my girlfriend´s brother-in-law owns a female-shoes factory. But I have never seen his shoes being sold here! Although they are exported and also sold to other parts of the country.
Thus, if you visit Rio Grande do Sul, go from Porto Alegre directly to Gramado. You will see Novo Hamburgo from the road. But stop in Gramado to do your shopping. :)
Posted by: AcesHigh | May 09, 2008 at 01:13 AM
lovely shoes
Posted by: Lucy | July 20, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Thanks all!
Posted by: DRL | July 21, 2008 at 07:03 PM
The consumer is still KING. DO NOT BUY shoes copied and made in china. If we do not buy their products, the jobs will eventually return to us. Please help me in the struggle to put some consumer goods back on the shelves that are not made in China.
Posted by: Jean Hay | October 16, 2008 at 03:42 PM
You could add a notice to your blog: "Brazil is a country that defends terrorists". Brazilian rulers gave liberty to Cesare Battisti an Italian terrorist that killed 4 (FOUR) persons.
SHAME OF YOU BRAZIL.
SHAME OF YOU LULA murders defender.
Posted by: Franco | January 15, 2009 at 05:09 AM
He must have a Brazilian child (Brazil refuses to extradite the parent of a Brazilian child).
Posted by: Daily Rio Life | January 15, 2009 at 07:55 AM
@ Daily Rio Life
No he hasn't any child in Brazil. He is Italian, he escaped after the trial from Italian prison to France (another country where terrorists are welcome thanks to the ex president Mitterand) and after to Brazil where he was arrested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7830449.stm
Now Lula seems to behaviour like Mitterand: no fault for those that killed people for the communism.
SHAME OF YOU LULA.
Victims' relatives want JUSTICE!!!!
Posted by: Franco | January 16, 2009 at 01:08 PM
Interesting. Curious as to what this has to do with the shoe post?
Posted by: Daily Rio Life | January 17, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Nothing, it's just for information about Brazil, this "wonderful" (?) country.
Posted by: Franco | January 20, 2009 at 04:23 AM