Experience the shock-and-awe shoe effect at I Dream of Heels

By Robin James

Contributing Writer

Do you have a fixation on shoes? If finding the perfect pair of shoes and that absolutely-must-have-it feeling is something you can attest to, then you may have a shoe-buying fetish and this story is for you.

Enter Shakir Taliaferro, owner of I Dream of Heels, a new, up-and-coming shoe shop that opened last year on Black Friday. His aim is to please customers with a fun yet modest selection of women’s clothing — and shoes galore. Be prepared to be amazed.

As you make your way to 777 Smith Avenue South in St. Paul, the location of I Dream of Heels, notice the huge window view of colorful shoes in a variety of hues, shapes and sizes. If you’ve been dreaming of heels, you’ve come to the right place.

So how did Taliaferro come up with the name for his store? He says ladies love heels. They love clothes. So when he was thinking about the shoe store idea, he thought of the store’s logo, a lady with shoe boxes behind her. She’s relaxed and dreaming of shoes.

He also thought of a store where women can not only dream about but get unique heels that they can’t necessarily get at the mall. MSR spoke to I Dream of Heels owner Taliaferro (ST) about making women’s shoe-buying dreams come true.

MSR: Do you keep up with what are the latest designer shoes and what’s hot right now?

ST: This summer, we’ve seen a lot of bright styles — yellows, pinks, royal blue. We follow the trends, but we also look for anything that is unique. If I see a unique style that might not be in season, I still put it out and test the market.

MSR: What are the latest trends in high heels/pumps, flats, boots and sandals?

ST:Wedges are popular. The other thing is just real high heels. The Midwest is just starting to get back on high heels. They’ve been wearing a lot of

flats for years. Five and a half inches are real popular right now. And bright colors.

MSR: How much do current fashion styles and celebrities buying tastes drive your business?

ST: A lot of styles are dictated by what the stars are wearing. For example, we have a red and white shirt with a little perfume bottle. There are some stars wearing that out West and down South where they have sequins around the bottle. We look at all trends and styles, but I won’t say we focus our attention on going after exactly what the stars are doing.

MSR: What style shoe is the most popular seller as of late?

ST: Wedges, right now. It’s starting to fade out because we don’t have too many days of summer left here in Minnesota. The wedges, the bright colors. Fuschia. Yellow. Royal blue. Those have been the hottest selling items.