RM 5 million! Total revenue from the sale of shoes at the Malaysia International Shoe Exhibition last weekend.

45,000 people were there throughout the 3-day exhibition and this was Malaysia’s Tourism Board’s effort to make Malaysia a shoe hub.

Crazy shoppers, us Malaysians.

I heard there was a Jimmy Choo booth, so I jumped at the opportunity.

But when I got there, I realised what a grandma I was. I certainly don’t know how to shop in such a lively and crowded environment. I’m usually a fantastic shopper; rain or shine, wet or dry, swollen feet or not, description in English or Swahili…my shopping spirit doesn’t die. But give me many things at once, surrounded by many people and shoe boxes, I will get a headache.

So I didn’t stay very long.

But I did notice the Jimmy Choo booth smack in front of the entrance. I mean, hello, it was massive, a tad bit hard to miss!

This pair of black Jimmy Choos with diamonds and pearls was RM 200,000.

I love jewelry, but I wouldn’t wear them at my feet. Not if they cost that much.

Anything with that price tag should be put as high as possible, maybe even on top of my head! Haha. A tiara maybe? You know, casual day out.

There were some quirky shoes out there which were hilarious to look at. No conscious soul would wear them of course, but these designers’ creativity should be acknowledged.

I was craving for some Cadbury chocolate after seeing this chocolate bar shoe.

Oh!

And did you guys know there was this designer called Jimmy Chia?!! Instead of Choo, it’s Chia.

I’m not kidding, I have pictures to prove it!

His shoes were mainly dinner shoes, and they all pretty much had the same design. Just different colours.

There was this really cool booth where you kick Crocs into these holes to gain points. I’m not sure what you win, but kicking Crocs sounds fun. They’re so not cool. My sister and brother in law love them and have forced them upon their kids too. Those poor kids have no idea.

At the exhibition, guests were shown the 14 steps to making shoes.

1. Choose material (Leather, rubber, PVC, polyurethane, thermoplastic rubber, EVA etc) – don’t have a clue what most of them are.

2. Choose accessories (buckles, hooks, linings, plastic ornaments, alloys, shells, crystals, diamonds etc)

3. Designing the shoes

4. Sketching – onto the mold to facilitate pattern-making.

5. Pattern-making – cut the pattern PRECISELY. One of the most crucial processes.

6. Cutting – either by machine or hand. Start with the upper part.

7. Accessories – add accessories to highlight the shoe, and inner lining must be carefully stitched onto the uppers for wearer’s comfort.

8. Lining – outer and inner linings

9. Footbed – for comfort and support.

10. Gluing

11. Drying

12. Add the heels

13. Pressing – shoes put into a presser to ensure they don’t fall apart when we walk in them.

14. Journey – “The shoes play an important role in our journey through life. The journey of a thousand miles start from a step.” In less cheesy words, start walking.

Sounds like a lot of work? Yes. I think so too.

I’d rather bite into my Cadbury chocolate bar while walking to the shoe shop.

All the while appreciating our shoemakers’ hard work!