Candie's shoes make comeback

It wouldn't seem fitting for hip-huggers to
be back in style without a pair of slip-on,
high-heeled Candie's to complete the look.

At least that's what Neil Cole, brother of
shoemaker Kenneth Cole, is betting women
seeking the retro-1970s look will think.

Cole, working with his brother and father
Charles, created the Candie's brand in 1978.
It sold 14.5 million pairs through 1981,
making it one of the most successful shoe
designs to hit the streets.

The Coles sold the brand to the Pentland
Group in 1986 for about $50 million.
While Kenneth Cole went on to build his own
brand of higher-price shoes and a retail chain,
Neil Cole started the No Excuses jeans line.

In 1991, Neil Cole bought the Candie's operation
back for $4 million, shut the business and
spent the following two years creating a
growth plan. The Candie's shoes, which sell
under the name Candie's, Bongo and Lucky, resumed
production in 1993 and are being sold in department
stores nationwide. Last year, Cole's Purchase company
sold $38 million worth of shoes. The brand has been
expanded to include men's outdoor shoes, casual
sneakers, trendier shoes and a line of designer
shoes that has yet to hit the market.

What remains to be seen is whether Cole can
recapture the popularity with Generation X girls
who are more accustomed to wearing layers of
drab oversize clothing -- or with women who already
wore out a pair or two of Candies as teen-agers.

In 1978, it was the release of "Grease" starring
Olivia Newton-John in skin-tight black spandex
and sexy slip-on wood high heels (actually the
Charles Jourdan brand) that caught
the fancy of young women.

But if fashion magazines are an indication,
the Candie's classic slide shoe is getting
a footing in the fashion world. This summer,
the shoes made it onto fashion pages in Harper's
Bazaar and Glamour magazines.

"There is tremendous value attributed to
brand names," said Howard Davidowitz, chairman
of Davidowitz & Associates, a
retail financial-consulting firm in
Manhattan. "There's room in that fashion niche."

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