The Strugar Shoe Shop has a long shoemaking family tradition, known as a men’s shoemaker. Its shoes are readily worn by persons who belong to the public life, and as the staff say, they are especially proud when Italians, coming from a country that is a symbol of quality and beautiful shoes, choose their shoes. What makes the Strugar shoes special is their bespoke nature. It means that clients have a chance to modify an existing shoe model according to their wish. This possibility is of great importance for future bridegrooms, and also for men who strive towards authenticity in their fashion statement. Except in Croatia, the Strugar Shoe Shop has been awarded recognition being included in the world’s list of 500 best shoe producers.

Fotografija: Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL

For children and young people, the Valek Shoes is a place where they can satisfy their need for expression of their personal style, compounded with unavoidable quality and comfort. The Valek Shoes workshop started work in the early 1960s and distinguished itself by the production of modern and high-quality shoes for women. After Mirjana Tkalčec took over the shop from her father, she made a shift in the operation when she noticed that there were no high-quality shoes for children. Today, they make shoes of various models for children and youth, with the largest shoe size of 40.

They regularly have new collections designed by themselves, and since they cannot use popular heroes from comics and animated movies as it is related to copyright, they use universal symbols like hearts and stars for girls and balls and swords for boys.

Fotografija: Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL

“Children are allowed to choose themselves the combination of colours and various prints,” says Mirjana Tkalčec, the owner of the Valek Shoes. She reveals what the young mostly look for: “Girls and teenage girls like tinsels that have been very popular in the last two years, and various animal prints like that of leopard. Boys and young adults have gotten out of the frame of dark blue, black and gray colours and like wearing yellow and red colours. Currently, the hit colour is Denver blue, and as it can be expected, they like sport symbols”.

Fotografija: Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL

Another interesting thing is that at the Valek Shoes one can order shoes with their own initials, and you have to admit that such shoes are really personalised.

Mirjana Tkalčec says that the young forebode fashion that has yet to come: “Those youngsters do not look through magazines but simply feel the spirit of the upcoming time and seek some special combinations of colours and patterns which we, a little bit oriented to the classical style, see as exaggerated. However in a couple of months, it turns out to be a real hit. Besides, not everything is for everybody, and every shoe only gets its full value when it is put on and you see how it lies on the foot, and whether it fits into the style of the person wearing it.”

When the youngest are involved, mums are the ones who choose shoes for their feet in a way that they have an opportunity to express their own creativity and select the best for their dear little ones.