ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607050116
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: KAREN ADAMS STAFF WRITER
At last, fashion and independence need not be mutually exclusive.
So believes trendy footwear designer Patrick Cox, who created the ``Christine,'' a clear plastic sandal with a tiny Statue of Liberty mounted inside the high heel. Water-suspended glitter swirls around Lady Liberty, making her look like a snow-scene figurine.
In Europe, Cox's ultra-modern "jellies" - flexible plastic shoes - squish brightly along old cobbled streets. In London, the Christine carries Big Ben in the heel, and in Paris, the Eiffel Tower.
The Christine is part of the lineup of jellies produced by Grendha Shoes Corp., a manufacturer based in Orlando, Fla. Grendha is a subsidiary of Grendene S.A. of Farroupilha, Brazil, the world's leading exporter of molded plastic shoes.
London-based Cox has created three styles (or ``silhouettes'') for the 1996 Grendha line.
Besides the Christine, he has come up with the sparkly ``Jennifer,'' a clear, high-heeled, slip-on mule with a 3" curved heel (a.k.a. the ``Barbie doll shoe'') and the ``Sharon,'' a triple-strapped towering wedge in bright colors. Each shoe is made in a variety of shades, from pearly to metallic to citrus; some are sprinkled with glitter. The children's line offers four styles, three of which include miniature collectible shoe magnets hanging from the ankle straps.
According to Grendha publicist Jackie MacKay, the technology designed by parent corporation Grendene has ``put a whole new face on plastic, rescuing it from its lowly dime-store image.''
So ... why are these funny, squeaky plastic shoes bouncing off the shelves in upscale stores and boutiques?
For buyers, apparently, plastic is fun. Like the ``synthetic as aesthetic'' trend in other areas of women's fashion, plastic shoes complement the funky retro-disco look of the season.
And Grendha's ``high-gloss'' jellies appear to be the best of the lot. Alice Hall, a senior buyer for Dayton Hudson department stores, told Grendha, ``They are flexible ... and they are gentle on the feet. The cheaper ones are much stiffer and have very rough edges.'' What's more, she said, they don't crack in cold weather (an important consideration for the Minneapolis-based corporation).
``Jellies have experienced quite a resurgence because of improved color and styling,'' said Bill Boettge, executive director of the National Shoe Retailers Association in Columbia, Md. ``At Grendha they're really the experts in the field, and they're known for their fashion leadership.''
Grendha shoes are formed by a specialized process called ``injection-plastic molding,'' by which polyvinyl chloride is heated to liquid and injected into a steel mold modeled after a designer's sketch of the shoe. A coolant injected into the outer sleeve of the mold hardens the plastic, and the finished shoe is expelled. The process (which takes about one minute) ensures high volume and uniform production.
Grendha asserts that this advanced technique produces perfect shoes: They're free of bubbles, have smooth seams, show delicate detail and have ``solid heels that don't feel like marshmallows.''
They're also reasonably priced: Grendha jellies average between $20 and $45. In 1995, Grendene S.A. sold nearly 80 million pairs of shoes worldwide.
``Doing shoes in plastic takes them to a whole new dimension,'' designer Patrick Cox has said. ``There's something very tactile and space-age about them.''
The Canadian-born Cox has been designing footwear since he was 21. He agreed to design for Grendha because of the company's reputation for quality and because, well, he loves working in jelly. There's even a winter line of Grendha jellies, and Cox has agreed to work on them.
``I'm not making a fake show out of plastic. I'm celebrating it,'' Cox has said. (The designer is in Milan these days and could not be reached for comment.)
Although not currently available in Roanoke, Grendha jellies in their more modest versions are available in Richmond at J.C. Penney at Regency Square - where they've ``sold like wildfire,'' according to assistant merchandiser Bettye Doggett. Grendha shoes also are carried by Belk's stores in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C.
But if you're looking for a shoe that shows your independent streak, call Grendha at (800) 509-8889. They can track stores that stock the Jennifer, Sharon and well-heeled Christine and - with luck - send them bounding your way.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Worn on the Fourth of July: This summer's well-heeledby CNBwoman has Lady Liberty at her feet. color.