The young American shoe brand Toms appeared in 2006. Its founder, Blake Mycoskie, visited Argentina and fell in love with the shoes of this country - alpargata. This became the motivation for creating a shoe brand that would produce high-quality, comfortable, affordable shoes of traditional Argentine models.

Italian shoes Now, later Fru.it, began its history in 1979. The founders of this brand were representatives of the famous family of hereditary shoe makers Tombolini. Three brothers Vincenzo, Silvano and Umberto began producing women's shoes in the late 1970s self made in compliance with all Italian traditions in this area.

Conni is an Italian shoe brand that has not yet had much long story, dating back a little over 15 years. It was created by three Italian designers who combined their creative abilities to create a new brand. Conni has a reputation as one of the best European manufacturers, which is confirmed by the participation of the brand in the annual shoe exhibition in Milan.

The Bugatti brand bears the name of its founder, Ettore Arco Bugatti, who began its production before the First World War, in 1909. Interestingly, this brand began with the production of cars, in which Bugatti also excelled, starting with a small workshop in Cologne.

Indonesian production women's shoes Papillon was founded in the early 2000s. As soon as Papillon sandals appeared on the market, they immediately gained popularity among local residents and numerous tourists coming to Bali. The first mono-brand boutique of this brand was opened on the island of Bali in 2002. Now the products of this brand are exported all over the world and celebrities wear them with pleasure. Papillon produces summer shoes for women and girls.

"Wild Cat" or Keen is an American shoe brand, which appeared a little over 10 years ago, in 2003. It was founded in the small town of Alameda on the western Californian coast of the United States. Its creators are Rory Fjörst and Martin Keene. Keen shoes are easy to distinguish - they have a reinforced toe that protects the toes, which immediately catches the eye of all lovers of an active lifestyle, traveling and hiking.

Giotto is a Russian shoe brand that is just over 16 years old. The name of the brand is stylized in Italian and refers us to the name of the great Italian Renaissance artist Giotto di Bondone. He was the predecessor of the great Italian masters Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buanarrotti and Raphael Santi. With Giotto a new era began in the history of world painting, and with Giotto - new story Russian shoes.

The German shoe brand Jana appeared in 1993 and was first presented in stores of the well-known SALAMANDER brand. Initially, the assortment did not amaze with its variety, but the famous German quality did its job - regular customers appeared, production developed, and today we have a serious brand that unites many German shoe manufacturers under the Jana guise.

29.05.2014 / 545

When choosing shoes, the brand and country of manufacture are perhaps of decisive importance. Many buyers are willing to pay several times more, but to purchase high-quality and comfortable shoes. This is what the inventors of werewolf brands are counting on. As a result, people buy Chinese products at European prices, without even checking the origin of the new thing. Is it any wonder then that the expensive “Italian” shoes fell apart after a month?

A werewolf is not the same as a fake. By offering its products to customers, the manufacturer creates the illusion of the European origin of its brand. The country of origin is either tactfully kept silent, or there is an outright substitution of Saratov for Milan and Tolyatti for London. As a result, naive buyers purchase Chinese or Russian consumer goods for a lot of money.

Werewolf brands can be divided into two groups

"Guess yourself". This includes those brands whose owners generally do not hide their Russian origin, but avoid the topic of the origin of the shoes. Products of average quality and price are given loud names foreign language and an attractive advertising slogan. For example, “traditions of English quality” or exquisite shoes from Italian designers. At the same time, with a little effort, you can find all the information about the origin of the shoes on the packaging or on the company’s website. The price of products from such brands is usually within reasonable limits, and the products are of acceptable quality. Therefore, after the purchase, you don’t regret the money spent, but there remains an unpleasant aftertaste - they thought that they bought German boots, but they were Russian.

"Under cover". The werewolf brands of the second category are much more insidious. Their owners quite consciously and purposefully invent and promote the legend of the Western origin and European production (usually Italian, German, English) of their products. Shoes sold under such werewolf brands are expensive, but the quality is very average, corresponding to the level of the mid-price segment.

What exactly to buy is an individual choice for everyone. But if you don’t want to overpay for something unknown, value high-quality and truly branded shoes and be vigilant and don’t be deceived!

Representatives of the first category “Guess for yourself”.

Ralph Ringer. Shoes are sewn in factories in Russia and China in accordance with standards. The products have a simple design, good quality and affordable prices. The Russian origin is not hidden, but sellers often talk about German roots: design, quality, etc., but this brand has nothing to do with Germany.

Argo. Despite the sonorous name, this is a brand of the Pyatigorsk shoe factory. The prices are reasonable, the quality is decent, Russian production is not hidden.

Avela Bellini. A Russian shoe brand that quite often mentions European roots and traditions, although there is no evidence of connections with Europe.

BurgerSchuhe. Having a “German name”, the brand is nevertheless Russian, which it honestly states. The shoes are of good quality, but don't believe the tales of German origins.

Camelot. The brand is Russian, but shoe production is located in China. The company will not invent legends about its origin. Camelot often copies designs to produce affordable collections from fashion brands. The price/quality ratio is satisfactory.

CV Cover. A Russian shoe brand that looks quite strongly like Italy. The site has a lot of streamlined statements about European production and Italian designers, however, the manufacturing country is Russia.

Grand Gudini. The name of this brand can also be misleading. Shoes are made in China and Russia. The company's claim that the models are developed by designers invited from Europe seems quite controversial. Prices and quality are average.

El Monte. A Russian shoe brand whose products have fairly high prices and decent quality.

Enzo Brera. On the Enzo Brera website a lot of space is devoted to Italian traditions, but there are no lies, and the Russian origin is not hidden. Although the quality is good, the prices for shoes are high.

Francesco Donni . A shoe brand with a network of branded stores and high prices. The brand’s website talks quite a bit about the descendants of the outstanding Italian shoemaker and Italian traditions. However, the producing country is Russia.

Giovane Gentile. A Turkish brand, whose origin is not advertised, with “Italian” ambitions and inflated prices due to the legend.

Henderson. Despite its Polish roots, the Henderson brand has been owned by a Russian company for quite some time, which does not hide its origin. The shoes are made in China and Portugal, there is nothing special about them. It has pretty decent quality and above average prices.

Jillionaire, Botinerri, Perfection, VS. All these brands seem to be the brainchild of the same Russian company. She, in general, does not hide this, but she avoids the topic of the origin of the shoes. Much is said about Italian standards and design, but the country of tailoring is most likely China.

Loiter. Shoes of this brand are made in Russia and, according to the manufacturer, using Italian technologies. Whether this is true is unknown, but sellers often try to pass off Loiter as an Italian brand. The shoes are produced by a small company, the prices for the products are low.

Mario Ponti. Brand of the Greek company Kasta, with shoe production in China, affordable prices and good quality.

Paolo Conte. A Russian brand that does not hide its origin. Prices are high for products from China, quality is average.

Pier Lucci. The Turkish brand of shoes is of pretty good quality, but often sellers pass it off as an Italian brand.

Rheinberger. A Russian brand owned by the Ryazinvest company from Ryazan. Shoes are sewn using German technology.

Renaissance. A Russian brand whose shoes are produced in Asia and Eastern Europe. The site talks about the participation of Italian and French designers in the development of models, but it is unknown to what extent this is true.

Vigorous. A Russian brand, the origin of which is ignored. Production is located in China. A significant part of the shoes is made of leatherette.

Centro. Brand of a large Russian chain, average price/quality ratio, made in China.

Now we will talk about insidious werewolves "Under cover"- whose owners shamelessly create and spread myths about the European origin (“English traditions”, “Italian masters”) of their brands.

Carnaby, TJ Collection and Chester. These shoe stores are the most famous representatives of this category. They are positioned as English brands that produce shoes in Spain and Italy. In fact, most of the shoes are made in China and Vietnam, and in Italy they put insoles into them. The prices are clearly inflated and the shoes are not worth the money.

Aaltonen. Russian clone of a large Finnish brand from the 80s of the last century. The current Aaltonen website is only in Russian and shoes are sold exclusively in Russia. Therefore, one can only guess how and where these shoes are developed and produced.

El Tempo. The brand pretends to be a Spanish brand, but has nothing to do with Spain. The company has one Russian website; there is absolutely no information about the El Tempo brand on the foreign Internet.

Ita Ita. A chain of stores selling pseudo Italian shoes. There you can find many different Polish, Russian and Chinese brands passing off their products as Italian. Prices are high, the quality of shoes varies greatly. In general, all this looks like a lottery, so it is better to avoid Ita Ita stores.

Provocante. Shoes of this brand are presented as German, but there is no information about this company on the foreign Internet. Therefore, it is obvious that this is a werewolf brand that does not have a very well-developed legend. The price/quality ratio leaves much to be desired.

Alba. A Russian brand whose owner claims the Italian origin of the shoes, but there are serious doubts about this. Most likely, the brand has nothing to do with Italy, although it is trying to create an impression of Italian roots among consumers. On the company's official website, the question of where shoes are produced is avoided, but a lot is said about Italian style and quality. It is quite possible that expensive models are made in Italy, but cheap ones are definitely made in China. In general, prices for Alba shoes are high with average quality and rather conflicting reviews.

Gode. A rather dubious brand, which is presented as Italian, but most likely, it is Chinese or Russian.

Thomas Munz. This brand is a prime example of a brazen werewolf brand that deliberately misinforms customers. There is a well-thought-out legend on the website, and in stores and advertising posters it is said that this german shoes. However, the foreign (including German) segment of the Internet does not contain information about the Thomas Munz brand. Apparently, the brand is indeed registered in Germany, but that’s all. The Germans have nothing to do with the development and production of shoes.

Carlo Pazolini. Another highly advertised werewolf brand that claims the Italian origin of its shoes. The brand has quite normal quality, but the shoes are made in China and Eastern Europe without the participation of Italian designers. The company even has a website in Italian, but the Carlo Pazolini brand is nothing more than a beautifully invented legend about the mythical shoemaker Carlo Pazolini.

Mascotte. Russian brand with production in China. It has high prices, rather questionable quality and comfort of shoes.

Enzo Logana. Positioned as Italian, the shoes are sewn at a factory in the Moscow region. Decent quality comes with fairly high prices, and in general, the Enzo Logana brand is not worth that kind of money.

Massimo Renne. The place of shoe production on the website is Italy, China, India. The site is hosted in Russia, the domain is registered to a Russian citizen. Therefore, one can only guess about the true origin of the shoes.

Roberto Rossi. Another deceiving brand with a website on Italian and stores only in Russia. The quality is good, but the prices are greatly inflated due to the rather creative legend of the mythical shoemaker Roberto Rossi.

Vitacci. A brand of women's and children's shoes masquerading as Italian. The site is in Russian, there is no foreign data about this brand. The shoes are of good quality, but most likely have nothing to do with Italy.

Vito. It is presented as a Finnish brand, but the company’s website is in Russian and there is no information about this brand on the foreign Internet. According to some reports, Vito shoes are made in Turkey and have very controversial reviews.

Many buyers do not even suspect that Russian manufacturers are actually hiding behind the big English and Italian names. This article is about the most important “pseudo” foreign brands.

Why do some Russian brands pretend to be foreign?

Here we are dealing with the conviction of the majority of Russians that foreign clothes and shoes (not counting China and Turkey) are always more fashionable and more best quality than domestic. This belief is not groundless. On the other hand, domestic producers, who know about the “special love” of Russians for everything foreign, take advantage of this. This is especially true for new brands formed after the 1990s.

First of all, brands take names that “sound” like Italian or American. There is nothing wrong with this fact in itself, and this is the case even in recognized fashion meccas, such as Italy. In particular, the Henry Cotton’s brand has an English sound and is aimed at fans of “ English style”, but was founded in Italy in 1978. However, there is a big difference - they do not hide this fact. It’s just that the name is consonant with the style of the clothes they produce.

By the way, someone who would certainly benefit from rebranding is our Bolshevichka factory. It just sounds funny: “A businessman in a Bolshevik suit.” However, this is purely their business, at least they are not misleading anyone.

Three categories of Russian brands that pretend to be foreign

All brands that “pretend” to be foreign can be divided into three categories.

The first category includes those brands that do not hide their Russian origin and have only the name itself in a “foreign” language. It's like our Timati black star - no one doubts his origin.

The first category includes INCITY is a Russian fashion brand created in 2005. This is a chain of fashion stores women's clothing, which is owned by OJSC Fashion Continent. Having taken a foreign name (which, by the way, does not clearly indicate the place of origin of the brand), this brand from the very beginning positions itself as Russian and does not experience any discomfort in connection with this. As well as English language, having become de facto international, the name in English is both a tribute to fashion, and a trend, and simply marketing ploy.

Fabio Paoloni

Under the brand Fabio Paoloni released men's clothing: classic suits, shirts, outerwear. The logo itself contains the word Milano, giving an unambiguous hint of its noble origin. That is, this is a direct misrepresentation. Information about Italian brand Fabio Paoloni's clothes are filled only with Runet. There is not a single hint of it in the Italian segment of the Internet. Where are the clothes made and by whom? Fabio Paoloni one can only guess - on the official website there is no information at all about their origin.

BGN

As stated on the official website “The history of the BGN brand began in Paris. In 1999, following the first BGN gallery, located in the very center of Paris, the first store appeared in the Saint-Gemain des Près district, then in 2004 in the Le Marais quarter. In 2000, the first BGN store opened in Russia, then in Ukraine and Turkey. Every year the number of stores is constantly growing". However, there is not a single mention of this brand in the French segment of the Internet, so draw your own conclusion.

And in conclusion, I will say that if the quality and style of clothes and shoes are at high level, then there is no need to hide behind a “foreign” brand, and if not, then this is not only a deception of consumers, but also damage to the business reputation of those countries that pseudo-Italian and pseudo-American companies hide behind.

Stylist-shopper

Olesya Maranova

Roskachestvo specialists checked shoes from Russian and foreign brands. During the study, which involved 25 pairs of shoes, it was possible to dispel myths about price and quality, as well as about the countries of origin.

For the experiment, experts took popular brands of women's leather shoes in Russia (Baldinini trend, Clarks, Francesco Donni, Geox, Hogl, Mascotte, Pazolini, TJ Collection, Zenden, Alba, Alessio Nesca, Fabi, Ionessi, Paris Commune, Valeriya by Westfalika and Tervolina) and found out which of them are actually made of genuine leather.

The press service of Roskachestvo explained that each pair was assessed according to 17 parameters of quality and safety. Experts studied the quality and authenticity of genuine leather, tailoring, paint fastness and toxicity, tore off the heels and soles of shoes, and tore the tops to test their strength.

The heels of all the pairs were attached very well, but the soles of the “Paris Commune” shoes were let down and came off the easiest.

roskachestvo.gov.ru

It was not difficult for the researchers to tear the top of the shoes - this indicates weak seams between the parts of the top; there were 14 pairs of them. The most durable were “Paris Commune”, TJ COLLECTION and VALERIYA by Westfalika.

It is worth noting that all the shoes tested were safe. But the Turkish brand Alba did not pass the authenticity test of leather; in fact, they were made of lacquered leatherette. “However, the manufacturer promptly responded to the results of the study and has already strengthened control, and also replaced the information about the upper material in the labeling of the shoes,” the press service clarified.

roskachestvo.gov.ru

Also, during the experiment, experts came to the conclusion that expensive shoes are not always better in quality. The top 10 of the Roskachestvo rating includes shoes that are cheaper than 5 thousand rubles. The best are Italian TJ COLLECTION, costing 5990 rubles. But the more expensive Fabi (RUB 12,240) and Hogl (RUB 11,865) took the last two places in the ranking.

1. Avoid shoes with harsh unpleasant smell. An unpleasant aroma from shoes indicates that they are made of toxic materials.
2. Choose shoes from natural materials: leather, suede, nubuck, textile. These materials do not interfere with natural heat exchange and are effective in preventing fungal diseases.
3. Choose one with a lighter lining, this will protect your legs and tights from staining if the shoes get wet from sweat.
4. A high price does not guarantee quality.
5. You should not rely on stereotypes about the country of origin. 70% best shoes, participating in the experiment, are manufactured in China. Also, Russian factories disguise themselves under foreign names, for example: Francesco Donni shoes are sewn in the Bryansk region, and Ralf Ringer - in Moscow.
6. Pay attention to the quality of tailoring. Shoes should look neat. The following are considered defective: uneven stitching, adhesive film between the top of the shoe and the sole, different sizes of the same accessories. Shoe parts should not gather or “wrinkle” at the seams.

Top 10 best brands shoes according to research results:

1. TJ COLLECTION (Italy, 5990 rubles) - 5 points.
2. Rendez-Vous by Massimo Santini (China, 2520 rubles) - 4,932 points.
3. Mascotte (China, 3,590 rubles) - 4,864 points.
4. Thomas Munz (China, 3536 rubles) - 4,795 points.
5. Clarks (China, 6990 rubles) - 4,727 points.
6. Salamander (Italy, 9490 rubles) 4,659 points.
7. VALERIYA by Westfalika (China, 5290 rubles) 4,659 points.
8. "Econika" (China, 7590 rubles) - 4,659 points.
9. “Unichel” (Russia, 2885 rubles) - 4,591 points.
10. Zenden (China, 3,499 rubles) - 4,591 points.

According to the press service of Roskachestvo, experts came to the conclusion that shoes for men are non-toxic, but are not always well made. In addition, a high price is not always a guarantee of quality.

The brands that took part in the study were Ralf Ringer, Pazolini, Pierre Cardin, Chester, Ecco, Francesco Donni, Geox, Mascotte, Baldinini, Rieker, Paris Commune, Salamander, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Marks&Spencer, Aldo, Zenden and Tomas Munz. Five of them were Russian-made, 11 were made in China, four in Italy, three in Germany, two each in India and Portugal, one sample each from Cambodia, Romania and Turkey.

The shoes were tested for toxicity, quality of tailoring, flexibility, strength, deformation and to determine whether they were truly made of genuine leather. All pairs of shoes do not contain toxic substances. The upper material in the shoes is genuine leather. And each pair corresponded to the declared size 42.

“The leaders were men's low shoes from the brands Paris Commune (manufactured in Russia), Zenden (China), Hugo Boss (Germany), Clarks Tilden Plain (India).

Products from 15 more brands were considered quality products, including Fabi, Freccia by Tervolina, Geox, Ecco, Mascotte. Mango Man, Tomas Munz, Tommi Hilfiger, s.Oliver, Zara, Marks&Spencer, Bata, TJ Collection, Rieker, Unichel,” says Roskachestvo.

Inconsistencies were detected only in 11 samples. The main complaints relate to the quality of tailoring, fastening of the sole and heel, color fastness of the lining and flexibility. The strongest seams of the upper parts were found in samples of Freccia by Tervolina, Pazolini, Chester, “Paris Commune”, Zara. The most fragile boots were from Francesco Donni, Ralf Ringer, s.Oliver, Pierre Cardin and TJ Collection.

“The lightest boots were a pair of Ralf Ringer, and the heaviest were Tomas Munz. Eight pairs have trademarks Baldinini, Pazolini, Chester, Salamander, Calipso, Ralf Ringer, Ionessi and Pierre Cardin paint the lining,” explains the study.

Shoes from Ionessi, Francesco Donni, Alessio Nesca, Chester and Calipso have problems with soles, and Baldinini and Aldo have problems with heels. In addition, experts have found that the myth that Italian shoes are of high quality and Chinese ones are not has no basis in fact.

“The quality of shoes does not depend on the price, experts have found: the cheapest sample (Zenden) and the most expensive product (Hugo Boss) are of improved quality. And products with violations are found among both cheap and expensive brands,” the researchers added.

The myth about the so-called eco-leather was also debunked. In fact, this is just a marketing ploy. These are synthetic materials that do not have the properties of leather.

In shoes domestic production the presence of formaldehyde and hexavalent chromium was not detected. But it has been found in shoes from China and other Asian countries.