This is a woman's world - amazing tailor-made shoes

One thing you'll notice when you walk through Seoul's streets is that especially women attach a lot of importance to appearance (see also post Make me beautiful). It might be true that Korean girls spend a larger part of their income on clothes, bags, shoes and make-up than others, on the other hand, competition of providers is fierce and if you know where to shop, you can get amazingly good deals.

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned the area around Ewha Woman's University, which is truly a woman's world. One of my friends called the shops on the street leading down to the main gate derogatorily "Weiberläden", which is German and translates into something like "broads' shops". However, it is the place where you get those amazing deals that make it possible for women in Korea to dress up to the nines.

Never in my life would I have thought to get high-quality tailor-made shoes for just about 50 US dollars a pair. But it's true in a shop on the main street called "WITH" (on the left side when you walk down to the university main gate). The way it works: They have a huge selection of designs you can choose from. Once you have found the design, they will take measure of your foot and tell you to return in a couple of days to pick up the shoes, perfectly tailored for you. If you want a different color, another fabric - no problem at all. You can choose from a large selection of fabric samples and colors. I've been very happy with the shoes I got from there. Comfy, stylish and good quality.

If you already own a pair of shoes you like - and which woman doesn't know how it is once you have found a pair of shoes that are awsomely comfy and you got so fond of, but then they wear out and you just can't get yourself to throw them away - it's absolutely no problem now! Just bring all your favorite shoes to them and ask them to make a copy. You can even say you want a copy but choose different color and fabric. Or you want a higher or lower heel. Unbelievable but true: Same price as for their own design. Around 50 bucks for a pair of pumps. Expect a bit more for boots as they will need more fabric to make them, but it's still a good deal. Oh, and one more thing: Bargain! It is one of the rare places in Korea where you still can bargain, even if buying from a shop. 10 - 20% off the first price is reasonable.