Merhaba, My Friends
I’ve just come back from a jaunt through Turkey, where merhaba means hello and (more importantly for us here) ayakkabılar means shoes.
Did I buy shoes while I was there?
Well… no.
Surprise, right?
But I can point out the shoes that I was most tempted to buy.
No, it wasn’t the beaded “harem slippers” that were on sale to tourists EVERYWHERE.
(photo from e-turkey.net)
It wasn’t the standard designer knock-offs that seemed to be in every other booth at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
It was the Suzani boots.
Suzani textiles are traditionally from Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan) and I’ve more often seen them woven into carpets and rugs. There were certainly plenty of those all over Turkey. And as rugs, they seem a bit much to me.
But the boots? The boots sucked me in.
They’re not my usual style at all. But they did remind me a bit of the Tatar boots seen way back here at the MFA in Boston for their Walk This Way exhibition.
And up close some of them are really gorgeous. Here are a few examples (each helpfully linked to its for-sale page if you find yourself inclined in a purchasing direction). All of them are for sale right now for about $145.
That last pair is probably my fave. There’s a huge variety of these shoes for sale all throughout Turkey, and all right, so they’re not exactly a neutral basic, but just imagine how amazing they’d look with a basic black turtleneck/skirt outfit.
Maybe all the Turkish delights have gone to my brain. Am I nuts, dear readers? Are these the height of fug? Or a quirky, fun statement-piece shoe?
24 Comments
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October 31, 2011 at 10:30 am, Maria said:
I'm from South Dakota, and we've got a shop called Rug'n'Relic in Sioux Falls. The owners go to Turkey twice a year to go shopping, and they came back with these boots. I love them, so incredibly much. Plus, I got a great deal.
October 04, 2011 at 4:00 pm, Chaar said:
I saw a lady wearing a pair of these in Naples FL. I loved them and said they look Turkish. She said "they are "
I am on my way to Turkey and can't wait to buy a pair.
March 18, 2011 at 3:05 pm, tisi said:
hey guy I found there this boots are sell http://www.suzaniland.com
June 24, 2009 at 11:52 pm, Sharon said:
I think these boots are incredibly gorgeous and I disagree with the poster who said they're not for daily wear, just for tourists and a shooting a movie…what? And they happen to be comfortable, or at least the ones made by Artemis Arte…which I don't think are the ones in the picture because the heels are different from the ones in the shop in Carmel. I happen to be buying them to sell in my shop in San Jose, CA and I have gotten great response to them when I've worn my pair to see if they would appeal to my customers. Personally, I would wear every style and am pretty sure they will sell. They're VERY comfortable too, and that's saying a lot, since I have very bad feet and nothing feels good on me. You should definitely have bought a pair, but you can get them next time, or from me! LOL I'm crazy about them. It's like wearing art.
October 07, 2012 at 7:08 am, Lyn said:
Sharon I have tried to get on to the artemisarte website but don't seem to be able to have any joy. I am a small retailer in Australia and would love to stock these gorgeous boots also. I have been plowing through the many suppliers on the web and am a bit worried that I may get an inferior product. I would love to know if you have been happy with the quality of the boots you got and if you could point me in the right direction to get good product I would be very grateful.
January 12, 2013 at 3:23 am, Hope said:
>I can help u source them from Turkey. I live here now. I used to sell them in the US…and I get them from the guy why used to run the production from Artemis. I can contact me at hope@hopestraveltreasures.com.
April 08, 2013 at 3:13 am, Damian said:
I know this guy, his name is Huseyin and he is most unfair how he takes clients away from Artemisboots, I suggest not to do business with him, but go to the original owner/manufacturer http://www.artemisboots.com
April 08, 2013 at 3:14 am, Damian said:
Dear Lyn, you better ocntact Artemisboots.com they sell good quality so you can be sure of that. http://www.artemisboots.com Good luck!
April 27, 2009 at 4:29 am, Agnes said:
Hi, I know where you can buy these boots in USA, there is a shop in Carmel, California which sells them, http://www.artemisarte.com
They also have a branche in Istanbul, called Sultan House, Divanyolu Cad 60
at Sultanahmet-Istanbul. Funny enough these boots are very popular by Western European but the Turks themselves are not wearing them
April 25, 2009 at 10:51 am, kiymet said:
April 23, 2009 at 1:23 pm, Shoe Smitten » Blog Archive » Favorite Reads of the Week said:
[...] ShoeBlog writer jitterbugbaby reports on the Suzani boots that tempted her in [...]
April 22, 2009 at 10:22 am, jitterbugbaby said:
I've gotta say, friends, that it's nice to see so many Turks reading. I fell completely in love with the country while I was there. And I think it's a good thing I didn't know about Hotiç, because some of those shoes are seriously çok güzel.
April 22, 2009 at 7:37 am, surely-shirley said:
The turkish word for shoes is awful – unlike the turkish shoes themselves, certainly )
April 22, 2009 at 2:46 am, Andrea said:
oooooh i want a pair!!
November 14, 2010 at 1:42 pm, katie said:
i do too where can i purchase a pair
April 22, 2009 at 1:51 am, savvymode sg said:
not my usual style too but rather cute.
April 21, 2009 at 11:30 pm, sinn said:
wow i was surprised when i saw merhaba on your blog since i am a shoeaddict turkish girl living in istanbul.
they are definitely touristic and not to be used in daily life, except as a accesory while shooting a movie!
I hope you spent great time in our magnificent city.
April 21, 2009 at 10:40 am, quinelle said:
I bought some of these in Turkey, not to comfortable
April 21, 2009 at 5:54 am, Scarlet said:
Definitely a beautiful and quirky statement boot! I really love the second pair (but I’m a sucker for combos of blue and yellow).
April 21, 2009 at 1:37 am, Miss Izmir said:
Hey… as a Turkish gril living in Switzerland I must tell you that you have missed out a very, very nice shoeshop called Hotic. (not to find on markets and bazars but in shopping centers).
ps. Don’t like at all the shoes you have posted.
April 20, 2009 at 6:16 pm, Central Asian Textil said:
nice footwear… your blog is nicely written.
April 20, 2009 at 5:45 pm, Lily Mathilda said:
Wow amazing craftsmanship!
You should have gotten a pair.
April 20, 2009 at 3:43 pm, pinar said:
haha.. I'm turkish..
I don't have the pointed harem shoes.. they are more touristic accessories than wearable shoes..
but not knowing these suzani boots.. made me laugh =)..
I should go more often to grand bazaar..=)…
did you have the oppotunuty of seeing some of turkish modern style designed shoes..
http://www.hotic.com.tr/ and http://www.derimod.com.tr/eng/default.html
I would love to hear your opinion about these too..=)
April 20, 2009 at 3:28 pm, miss bliss said:
They are nice! I’d love some… great details!