A CLEOPATRA collection – snakeskin style heels (Photo: Sellenatela?)

(Writer: Shana Graves)

As with any large metropolis you will find designer shoe brands such as Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Jean Paul Gaultier most of which are located in Ginza and Omotesando, but if you want something a little more exclusive there are many Japanese shoe designers that offer rare designs and styles. Enomoto sisters Ikue, Moe and Shie together, started the Sellenatela? brand of shoes in 2004 to provide customers with products that are beautiful and distinct, not to mention locally made. Currently Sellenatela? has one store in Osaka, one in the upscale Tokyo shopping district of Ginza and have recently opened a store in San Francisco, California. The Sellenatela? brand identifies itself by incorporating a spider's web on each pair of shoes - stitched onto the left shoe. For a look at the full Sellenatela? collection visit:

www.sellenatela.com

Another small, but exclusive Japanese shoe design is Amarillico whose collection concentrates mainly on leather and rubber footwear. It’s easy to only think of rain boots when you imagine footwear made from rubber but Amarillico takes rubber footwear the extra mile using the material to make not only rain boots but also flats, kids shoes and pumps. The use of rubber in Amarillico’s collection does anything but take away from the immense creativity which is so evident in their designs. To see these amazing works of art, visit their website below, or stop by their newly open shop on the first floor of Matsuya Ginza department store:

www.amarillico.net