Shoe retailer Stuart Weitzman shuts isle store
Customers take a look at the shoes offered by the Stuart Weitzman shoe store at Ala Moana Center.
The high-end retailer, whose shoes ranged from $150 to more than $500, closes its only store in Hawaii.
For high-end retailer Stuart Weitzman, the shoe didn’t fit in Honolulu.
The luxury women’s shoe company closed its only Hawaii location last night. The 2,412-square-foot Ala Moana Center location opened in July 2008, the first in the state. It was located next to the Apple store.
Store Manager Gillis Asao declined to comment on the company’s reason for the closure. But whatever the Achilles’ heel that threw the store off balance in Honolulu, Asao said the location found a "good following."
"It’s just unfortunate that we had to close the store," Asao said. "I’m sad to see it go. … Business has been OK – not brisk, but OK."
The closure means seven employees, including Asao, will be out of work.
As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday the store had about 250 pairs of shoes to clear out. Asao said the store also has been sending pairs to other department stores in Hawaii that still carry the brand.
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Weitzman’s shoes are celebrity famous, featured in fashion magazines and runways around the world. The company boasts that its heels are "equal parts spectacle and sculpture."
Weitzman is known for using unusual materials like cork, vinyl, Lucite, wallpaper and 24-karat gold. The store sold a variety of footwear, including platforms, wedges, pumps, boots and evening wear.
Prices for the shoes ranged from $150 to more than $500. There are stores in 45 countries, including world fashion capitals like Beijing; Hong Kong; Tel Aviv, Israel; Zurich, Switzerland; and Milan, Italy.
