A Kilkenny company is right on trend with a range of colourful mocassin shoes for men and women.
The 100 per cent Irish made quality shoes come in a variety of colours and are one of the hottest selling fashion items in Britain. The Wallabee shoes are manufactured in Kilkenny by Padmore & Barnes who have been making shoes since 1934.
These multi-hued items are all the rage amongst the city's denim and tracksuit-clad hipsters.
Brian Roberts, marketing manager at Padmore & Barnes gives the history behind the shoes. The Kilkenny company was owned by Clarks for most of the past 25 years. In 1987 Clarks got out of manufacturing in Kilkenny but left the Wallabee brand to Padmore & Barnes.
Brian Roberts acknowledges that it is expensive to make shoes in Ireland but they survive by producing a niche product that commands a high price. The popularity of the colourful Wallabees he puts down to timing. Clothes are getting brighter, trousers are getting wider, and Wallabees nicely fit that look.
Kathy and Darrell Boyd of the DV8 store in Temple Bar, Dublin say the target market for Wallabees is 16 to 30 year olds with the more subdued colours being sold to older customers. They keep a close eye on fashion trends in the UK and spotted that Wallabees were in big demand. At £40 a pair, the shoes are good quality and original.
They're not mass produced so they can't be cheaper.
Brian Roberts says the company is taking a number of legal cases against other companies who are selling fake Wallabees.
Padmore & Barnes plan to strengthen the Wallabee name on the market and introduce a new product, the Wallabee Weaver. They also have plans to expand their range to include shoes made from elk hide.
This episode of 'Head To Toe' was broadcast on 23 February 1990. The presenter is Pat O'Mahony.
