THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995            TAG: 9512200118
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: By Kim Wadsworth, Special to the Daily Break
                                             LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

FASHION: THE CLASSIC LOAFER WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT? THIS PUPPY OF A SHOE IS MAKING A COMEBACK

``Don't look now but the dog is at it again. ``The Hound Dog is still alive!'' exclaimed Mark Penn, director of operations at Hofheimer's Shoe Store when I called the other day to inquire about the resurgence of Hush Puppies, the vintage loafer that was created in the late '50s. People thought Hush Puppies were gone, but the comfortable crepe-soled shoe that has been around for several generations is suddenly making a comeback with men and women.

The revival is timely. With fashion turning preppy, suddenly it's hip to be square - as long as you're wearing your clunky suede loafers. With an advertising tagline that brags, ``we invented casual,'' it's no wonder the demand for the classic Hush Puppy would, like every dog, have its day. ``We've always carried this classic line of shoes for men and women,''said Betty Strout, a shoe saleswoman at Leggett in Virginia Beach. ``Now, younger people are coming in to check them out.'' According to the marketing division for Hush Puppies in New York, the modernized original Hush Puppie mocassin loafer that is causing all the stir has been re-invented in bright colors for spring in shades of bubble-gum pink and Kool-Aide green. They've already been seen on the runways of some of the hottest designers - Anna Sui and John Bartlett included them in their spring collections - and some of the fancier department stores like Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Nordstrom's sell them right now. According to Andy Chandler, General Merchandise Manager for Hofheimer's, if the women's classic - not yet available locally - sells well in the north it will become available in Hampton Roads. They're expected to sell for about $70 a pair.

In the meantime, women desperately seeking Hush Puppies are buying the mens version called the ``Wayne.'' ``Women love this shoe in black, hot pepper or castro brown. As a comfortable tie shoe, it's a perfect look for this trend'', Chandler said.

It comes as no surprise that the Hush Puppie's re-appearance would be marked by such praise. After all, it is the quintessential American puppy. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

BETH BERGMAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Women are covering their dogs these days with the men's model called

the ``Wayne.''

This model, in black, $59.95 available at Hofheimer's. Chessie the

Basset Hound comes courtesy of the Meltons.

by CNB