Johansen-Packard-Rellin's From Virginia via Vancouver!

FlashBack Friday

It is only fitting that a Flashback Friday post written on the brink of a new year be packed with nostalgia. I found these gems at one of my favorite vintage shops in the Gas Town district of Vancouver, B.C.. When it comes to the rare occasion that I want to wear heels I am most often drawn to vintage styling. This pair of 1940's “Heavenly Heights Packard Rellin Salon Shoes-Milwaukee” were on display among charming gloves and elegant clutches. I was taken by their tiny peep toes, swirly stitch details and saucy ankle straps. The smooth low-nap suede hadn't a flaw even though the leather soles clearly had quite a bit of wear. Obviously, the woman or women who had these shoes before me must have adored them and cared for them...and probably never wore them during inclement weather. I like to imagine them at swanky gatherings garnering admiring glances and receiving shoe compliments as I do now when I wear them out on New Years Eve.

They are not terribly comfortable but they do feel secure with their ankle straps which is a good thing because I am not very practiced at gliding about in 4 inch heels. I also love that they feel so solid under my feet without giving up any stylishness. I find that now-a-days elegant shoes feel rather flimsy. These “Packard Rellin's” have stood the test of time both in durability and design.

With a little research, I discovered that these beautiful pumps were made by Johansen Shoe Company as a private label for a shoe store called Packard-Rellin Women's Shoes on Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. While the Packard-Rellin store no longer exists; the Johansen shoe company continues to make quality shoes in the state of Virginia and have been doing so since 1876. Contracting with manufacturers to make a private label for your own store was and still is a common practice among retailers wanting their name on the product(s) they sell. Nordstrom's, for instance, has contracted with many shoe brands/manufacturers to make their “Nordstrom line” of shoes. Costco's well-known Kirkland brand is created this way by working with companies that produce everything from wine to toilet paper.

My little peep-toe show-stoppers exude nostalgia and every year when I pull them out I reminisce about my trip to Vancouver and the years that pass ever more quickly. I wonder about the journey these shoes took from Milwaukee to Vancouver and the feet they embellished along the way. I step into each New Year with a bit of shoe history, a ton of style and just enough pinch to remind me why I wear comfortable shoes the rest of the year.

Happy New Year and Happy Soles to You All,

abigail dagmar