Roiluxe is a high-end men’s shoe buyer’s shop (boutique). A shoe shop needs no explanation, so what exactly is a buyer’s shop?
A buyer’s shop is where the shop owner relies on his own taste and demand for quality, choosing brands (quality) and styles that he recognises and sells. For the most part, the buyer’s shop acts as a department store, only for smaller brands with a more precise audience.
Roiluxe’s first shop is on Huating Road in Shanghai, just above The Refinery. Last time I went around, I shot a video with Dr Justice. It’s not a big shop, it’s small and quiet.
What was it like to open a shop in Beijing Guomao, a top luxury mall this time?
The shopfront is bright and fresh. The décor is led by Raymond, one of the owners. The young man has exceptional taste. Look at the shoes later and you will be able to appreciate it.
The counter at the entrance, you can see the box below, so you know which one it is, and you know who the headliner or top seller of the house is, right?
It’s Gaziano & Girling.
The most appealing thing about this pair of Warwick, apart from the Balmoral with brogue, the narrow rounded toe of DG70, is definitely this black and grey patina, which can be considered as Gaziano & Girling’s signature.
These are Antibes, something doesn’t seem right. When I see penny loafers with flipped leather strips, I think Antibes, but this pair is called Avignon, with the leather strips flipped twice, and then the back of the leather strips is lizard skin. The toe has reverse stitching. All play with a lot of Roiluxe’s own flavour on top of the brand. These details, the playfulness, is Raymond’s magic.
The two booths on the left hand side, separated by a wall, are brands with green box.
Although it’s also everyone’s favourite, Edward Green in Roiluxe is definitely atypical, and Raymond has hardened this twilight brand to talk about its youthfulness, and a lot of the styles make me not believe that it’s Edward Green.
With this pair, I don’t remember looking at the style, I was simply attracted by the small piece of leather along the top of the heel, an area that is all about reinforcement, but made like this is the first time I’ve seen it.
When I think British brands are sitting on their laurels and don’t have any technical strengths or pursuits, people quietly do.
So with such a big wall of shoes, which one is it? The answer is Chinese brand Mattina.
Roiluxe has a number of exclusives in shop for those interested, and a relatively more price friendly option.
Directly opposite the doorway on the wall furthest in, on the left are all Stefano Bemer’s spots, which are considered top level in the eyes of enthusiasts.
On the right, George Cleverley and Norman Vilalta are sharing, both of which make for particularly interesting shoes to try.
Bright on the left, contrasting with the soothing green on the right, the greenest part of which seems to have a lot of wooden boxes stacked on top of each other.
Turns out it’s the Stefano Bemer corner. I’ve never owned a pair, I’ve had my heart set on them, but my pocket is not deep enough.
The little coffee table on the soft sofa bit holds Roiluxe’s own shoehorn, with a very nice wood texture and a particularly distinctive shape, and how it looks like a cutlery to me.
The bar, which is the place to work and shine shoes, has many colours of socks behind it.
It is said that the sales of their socks are so good that they are almost a sock shop. The socks are also a reflection of the owner’s taste?
PS
Remember to enter through this door, the entrance is also the parking space. If you go through the main entrance of the mall, you have to bend around to get there.