When you buy a pair of Tod's shoes, you pay for the comfort it delivers. SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN talks to its regional boss about getting the most out of the shoes.

The limited-edition Pashmy that was specially made for the Pavilion boutique opening.

Tiny Tod's for kids.

THE first question I asked Sabine Brunner, the general manager for Tod’s Asia Pacific, when we met for this interview was on cobblery.

I was curious to know the lifespan of a pair of the famous Tod’s moccasins. It has the brand’s trademark 133 rubber pebbles on its outer sole. The pebbles made the shoes super comfy. The thing is, if used rigorously, they come off, especially around the area of the feet’s ball. And they cannot be replaced.

Mine made it over two years before I had to send it to the cobbler to have it replaced with the usual flat rubber sole. The shoes became less comfortable. But that was the only way to save it.

“What you did was right,” Sabine said while studying my old pair of Tod’s. “Shoes with rubber and leather soles last longer because you can re-do the outer soles. You are lucky because your shoes have a wooden sole (which means a rubber sole can be glued on). If it’s the gommino driving shoes, that’s it. You can’t wear it anymore.”
(For the record, the gommino is a pair of shoes you can sleep in, with its leather outer sole — it’s the same piece of leather that forms the upper — and rubber pebbles. They move and mould according to the feet because its founder, Diego Della Valle, believes that shoes are to feet what gloves are to the hands.)

So why, even when the shoes don’t last that long, would people part with about RM1,800 for a pair? Sabine didn’t hesitate for a second. “Because they are very comfortable.”

Unlike fashion footwear which thrives on theatrics and eye-popping designs, Tod’s shoes are entirely based on comfort. It puts much effort into studying the smallest details of the foot so it can be given comfort.

In the late 1970s, Della Valle thought that people need beautiful, well-made shoes that could be worn in a professional, elegant or casual environment. He studied the concept and it led to the brand’s luxury moccasins, with the trademark rubber pebbles on the sole.

“We apply the same philosophy of comfort for heels and court shoes so you get formal shoes done the Tod’s way.”

Tod’s shoes are entirely made in Italy, with more than 100 steps in making a pair. They are crafted in the brand’s headquarters in Marche — a building that’s not only a factory, but one that has a kindergarten for the staff’s children, a gym, a restaurant and an auditorium for international lectures.

The shoes, Sabine said, are the best of its type that you can find, adjusted until they are perfect. Today, shoes remain the brand’s core business. Tod’s did not introduce handbags until 1997. It also has a small ready-to-wear collection designed by Derek Lam. In Asia, the brand sells three pairs of shoes for every bag.

“The Asian market loves our bags. I think they like our quality and contemporary design. Tod’s is not really a fashion brand. Yes, we produce things every season, but our products are still wearable for years to come. You won’t get that oh-that’s-so-last-season-look from Tod’s,”

Its bestselling bag, the nylon Pashmy, was introduced last year and is still going strong this season with reincarnations in satin and python trimmings. “It’s light, and because it’s not made of leather, the price is slightly lower,”

I asked her if luxury is losing its charm with companies using cheaper materials, allowing them to sell products at lower prices to reach a wider consumer base.

“Luxury is not exclusivity. For us, it means the quality and workmanship we deliver in our goods. If something is the best of quality, then it’s luxury,” she said, promptly picking up a brown-coloured Pashmy.

“The material may be canvas, but the detailing, hardware and stitching are on par with any of our leather bags. That’s quality. And that’s luxury.”

Tod’s business in Asia, Sabine says, has been an amazing journey. When the brand first entered China four years ago, the Chinese were clueless about the brand, but they fell for the quality of the goods.

Now, Chinese men make up 50 per cent of its clientele and this year, it’s opening 12 more stores in the country, three in India and one in Korea. “The men’s business is getting bigger and bigger. We have a men’s store in Shanghai and in our Landmark store in Hong Kong, we have a full men’s floor,”

Elsewhere in single-floor stores, like the newly-opened Pavilion Kuala Lumpur boutique which Sabine was here for, the shopping area is segregated to women’s and men’s.

Has its business in Asia been affected by the recession?

“In general, luxury customers are not affected by the recession but it varies according to countries. Singapore is cautious, so we might see some effects there. Hong Kong and China seem not to be hurt — they are strong economies by themselves.”

Life goes on at Tod’s, recession or not. A few months back it launched a range of footwear for toddlers and kids to include comfortable moccasins, sneakers and ballerinas for the young ones.

The prices are about half the price of an adult Tod’s footwear, which is still way above the prices most people would pay for shoes.

“When you are looking for quality, that’s the price you have to be willing to pay. I find that shoes are important for children so their feet are well-maintained. Clothes I don’t care for so much.”

When her children’s feet grow, Sabine give them away to her friend’s children and she finds it amusing when the shoes pop up on her friend’s friend’s children.

A little Tod’s goes a long way.