The rich dark brown and orange wide-strapped wedge shoes were calling my name. I loved them instantly when I saw them on the website of one of my favorite auction houses. But check out the height of those heels! It hurts just to look at them.
I wore wedge heels that high some years ago, but can’t do it now. I was tempted to try it again with the brown pair, even though I wasn’t sure if they would even be in my 9 ½ size.
I was previewing items on the auction house’s website for an upcoming vintage clothing sale when I spotted the shoes. Auction houses have these sales a couple times a year, and I’ve written about the clothes that this place has sold before.
At this auction, though, I ignored the wedding dresses, fancy hats and mink coats, and even the beaded purses and compacts. The shoes were the draw for me. But apparently not for most of the women – it was more women than men – at the auction. Many were dealers, I’m sure, and they had sat through hours of clothes-buying before the shoes came up for sale. They were not buying; in fact, they didn’t seem to be interested at all. The auctioneer had to practically give the shoes away. Some of the shoes looked new; others showed relatively little wear. They seemed all to be Italian-made, and most were in the European size system (A few of us kept figuring out the American equivalent in our heads.). They were all in their original boxes, and some were in fabric pouches inside the boxes. There were from one to five pairs of each style in different sizes.
They must have come from stores and a private owner. At one point when the shoes were being sold for a pittance, the auctioneer announced that the owner was going to be very disappointed when she learned how much her expensive shoes were sold for. Poor dear, to have paid so much to get so little.
I’ve bought a lot of shoes, and some were brand names that I got at off-brand stores at bargain prices. The shoes at this auction had designer brand names I had never heard of before, because the original prices were way way way out of my reach.
That pair of red-with-black-dots 3 1/2-inch heelers by Jerome C. Rousseau in the lovely red boxes? $575, according to the price tag on the box. I checked on the web; that’s about right. Rousseau launched his label in 2008, and had been designing about 10 years before that. His shoes are sold in such stores as Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue. I found pairs on the Saks site for $495 and $595, and ones for $700 on another site. According to his website, several Hollywood celebrities walk around in his shoes, including Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson and Cameron Diaz. The two pairs of Casadei dark brown and orange sandals with the tan heels that kept calling me out? $495 on the price tag. On the Casadei website, some shoes were retailing for more than $1,000 a pair.
As the shoes were being sold, I stood near a regular auction-goer who picked up about a dozen pairs. She knew some young women who would love the shoes – four-inch heels and all, she said. She also wondered if she should try to sell them on eBay for $100 a pair. Some of these brands were selling for retail prices on eBay, so her low price could divert sales from them to her.
Here’s a sampling of the shoes and the prices (which do not include the 15 percent premium that the auction house charges):
Iceberg brown suede boots. Price tag: $530. Very utilitarian. I wasn’t around when they came up, but one buyer told me that only one of the two pairs were sold. The pair was probably more a giveaway than a sale.
Casadei orange and brown strap wedges. When the auctioneer dropped to a starting bid of $10, he said that he could not go any lower. Sold for $10 a pair.
Rafe black heels with gold studs. Price tag: $395. These looked brand new. From NY designer Rafe Totengco, whose signature brand appears to be his handbag collection, which he established in 1995. According to his website, Cameron Diaz (among others) has also been seen carrying one of his bags. Sold for $17.50 a pair. Rafe heels with black straps also sold for $17.50 a pair.
Guiseppe Zanotti Design wedge sandals with cowhide heels. Price tag: $525. An auction-goer told me that they sold for $5. I thought they were cute, and I realized later that they were actually my size.
Ruthie Davis lime wedge sandals. Price tag: $425. I spotted them before I even got to them on the bottom shelf against a wall at the auction house. They were loud and bold and in-your-face. Sold for $10 a pair.
Brian Atwood orange fabric sandals with stitching. Price tag: $655. A woman stood admiring these shoes when I first previewed them at the auction. She wore tall high heels when she was in her 20s, 30s and 40s, she said. A former teacher, she also recalled wearing them to school with her suits – back then, teachers had to dress formally. Now, her back was shot from wearing the heels, and her chiropractor wondered what she had done to cause so much injury to herself. On this day, she wore flat comfortable shoes. The woman wasn’t around when the shoes sold for $10 a pair.
Jerome C. Rousseau purple slip-on heels. Price tag: $525. Sold for $15 a pair.
Jerome C. Rousseau red and black-dot slip-on heels. Price tag: $575. Sold for $20 a pair on first bidding and $15 a pair on second bidding. In this case, the first bidder took two pairs at $20 a pair. The auctioneer opened the bidding up again, and the highest bidder took the remaining pair for $15.
Jerome C. Rousseau tan and black high-heel sandals. I thought this pair was especially lovely. Price tag: $595. Sold for $15.
BE&D silver high-heel sandals. Price tag: $695. Sold for $20.
Gerardina di Maggio dark brown skins. Price tag: $495. These were a favorite of mine, too. When the woman standing next to me bought them, I had to take a closer look. Then I saw the heel; it was just gorgeous. Another pair of black Di Maggio were sold along with them, both for $15 a pair.
Rock and Republic pink/purple and gray/black suede high heel sandals. Price tag: $350. I had walked away when these were sold, but they, too, were likely sold for $15 to $20 a pair.
