Payless pulled off quite a stunt!
They set up a fake “luxury” store dubbed “Palessi” and filled it with their $20-$40 footwear. Then they invited so called “influencers” to a clever party, and the invitees actually ended up paying up to $600 for the Palessi shoes.
Here’s a link to an ABC News YouTube video and news story about the “prank.”
Payless Opens Fake Luxury Shoe Store as Prank (ABC News)
How Payless Tricked Influencers Into Paying $600+ for Their $20 Shoes (Holly Rhue, Elle)
Here’s a link to a Payless commercial that explains the prank.
The Payless Experiment (Payless YouTube)
Of course, it’s shoe haute couture that was being lampooned in the ad. Yes, some people really do pay many hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for shoes.
Here’s a video tutorial and article for those of you that are unfamiliar with brands like Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik that are featured at places like Neiman Marcus and shows like Sex and the City.
Top 25 Most Expensive Shoes in the World (Beautiful Life)
Lest you think it’s just those of the feminine persuasion who fall prey to expensive shoe fetishes, here’s an article that covers the masculine side of the isle as well.
Top 10 Most Expensive Shoe Brands of 2024: From Gucci to Stuart Weitzman (Finances Online)
So, you may wonder, why are such shoes so outrageously expensive?
Here is a link to a short featurette thta covers some reasons why Christian Louboutins start at more than $600 and can cost more than five grand.
Why Louboutin Shoes Are So Expensive (Business Insider, YouTube)
Here’s a link to 360° video by the British Fashion Council with Manolo Blahnik explaining his artistic design process.
Join Master Shoemaker Manolo Blahnik in Virtual Reality
Finally, here’s a link to a fun video of Consumer Reports slaughtering a Manolo Blahnik.
Cutting up Manolo Blahnik Shoes (Consumer Reports)
Here’s a link to their research and results.
Are Manolo Blahniks Worth the Money? (Consumer Reports)
Short story, yes , they are better constructed, and perhaps more fashionable, but not necessarily more comfortable.
No shocker there 🙂