Designer Shoes from Japan: Prada Monolith, Chanel Two-Tone, Gucci Loafers and Hermès Oran
A shoe tells you how an owner lived. Heels worn at an angle, a sole scuffed only at the toe, an insole that still smells of leather: these are the details a collector reads. Japan is a good place to buy designer shoes because owners treat them as one treats an instrument, with shoe trees, dust bags and rotation, and because the market describes wear honestly.
Five pairs to know
Prada Monolith
Prada introduced the Monolith, a chunky lug sole in rubber, on its derbies and loafers in 2018, and the shape has since become the house's most recognisable footwear. The pairs in our archive come from the Raf Simons years, when Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons worked together as co-creative directors; see Raf Simons: Collecting the Archive. Look for a sole that is not worn through at the heel and brushed leather without scuffing at the toe.
Chanel two-tone slingback
Gabrielle Chanel introduced the beige shoe with a black toe cap in 1957, working with the bootmaker Massaro; the beige lengthens the leg and the black cap hides scuffs. It has been reissued every few seasons since. Check the heel tip and the inside of the slingback strap, which marks first.
Gucci Horsebit loafer
Gucci introduced the Horsebit loafer in 1953, with a metal snaffle across the vamp taken from saddlery. The Gucci archive and its modern successors are described in Gucci's Modern Classics; Vintage Gucci Bamboo and Horsebit covers the earlier pieces.
Hermès Oran
The Oran sandal, with a cut-out H across the strap, was introduced by Hermès in 1997 and has outlived most of the fashion of its decade. The leather footbed takes the shape of the foot; look at the heel and the insole for wear, which tells how often it was worn.
Valentino Rockstud
The pyramid-studded flat appeared in 2010 and is covered in The Valentino Rockstud; check for missing or loose studs, and for scuffs on the ankle strap.
Japanese sizes
Japanese women's sizes are given in centimetres of foot length, and many designer pairs are labelled in European sizes. As a rough guide, a Japanese 24 cm corresponds to a European 37 to 38, though lasts vary by house. Our shoe size reference gives conversions, and each piece page gives the insole length, which is the safest measurement.
What to check
- The sole. Original soles show maker's marks; a resoled pair is fine if it is described as such.
- The heel tip. The first part to need replacing.
- The insole. Foot-shaped wear shows how long a pair was worn; a clean insole means a pair that was rarely out of its box.
- Creasing. Light creasing at the flex point is honest; deep cracks are not.
- The box and dust bags. Japanese owners usually keep them.
Condition is graded on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks.
In the archive now
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Index terms: designer shoes japan · prada monolith derby · chanel two tone slingback · gucci horsebit loafer · hermes oran sandal · valentino rockstud flats · japanese shoe size conversion · pre-owned designer shoes