Loading ...Leather Soul moves into RHC
By Nadine Kam
Nadine Kam photos
John Knorek shows the $500 Leather Soul gift certificate he won, courtesy of Leather Soul owner Tom Park, center. At right, Jin Yu, was another winner, receiving a near body-size piece of German-made Rimowa luggage, a new addition to the store. She plans to use it on a trip to Asia soon.
I’ve been to all kinds of fashion parties, but not many where most of the guests were men in aloha shirts.
The occasion was the March 20 grand opening celebration for Leather Soul, which moved its retail operation from a small second-story “closet” of a space in Waikiki, to the sparkling, renovated Royal Hawaiian Center.
Having shopped at the Alden, John Lobb and Church’s boutiques on Madison Ave., NYC, owner Tom Park’s boutique fully measures up, stressing service, with comfy lounge chairs a guy can sink into while studying up on fine, handmade men’s footwear.
Prices run about $400 to $600 for shoes that Park says are the most comfortable you’ll ever try on, while signaling status, and made with durability to last a lifetime. Just the sort of promises a practical aloha-shirt kind of guy can understand.
Here’s a link to the store: www.leathersoulhawaii.com
Park with one of his high school buddies Christian Adams, who is now one of his best customers, with 15 pairs of shoes, mostly Aldens.
Most fashion parties feature delicate girly foods. Park offered full dinner catered by neighboring Chibo restaurant. Here, the garlic shrimp. Yum. Meatballs with spicy ponzu sauce were also good. Wine was provided by People’s Wine Shop.
Inside the store, Matt Frisbie helped fit some of the guests with shoes. Displayed in the foreground are J.J. Weston shoes.
Throughout the evening, guests wandered from the party area into the store, where Matt Frisbie, who’s had experience dealing with both genders, said women are actually easier shoe customers. “If they like the look of a shoe, they don’t care if it hurts.”
Feel free to discuss this point.
The guests, many downtown Honolulu customers who hadn’t seen the boutique, came straight from work dressed in aloha shirts.
I saw this store on my way to Doraku two weeks ago. I am keeping my dad and boyfriend away. They might get ideas for their birthdays or something. And Lord knows that if I’m going to spend hundreds of dollars on shoes, they are going on my feet.