Adventures in Copyrights: Chain Gang

Apr 30, 2008 @ 12:12pm

Reader Melinda sent in this strange edition of Adventures, because she's a little confused, as are we -

The Steve Madden version came first, then the Target by Tressa, but why copy at all?

We think Steve's were probably inspired by Juicy Couture, lover of useless chains, but the truly interesting aspect of this one is that a mass brand is knocking off another mass brand, which means that Steve Madden shoppers are much more likely to buy the Target pair, seeing as how they're almost $40 cheaper.

This is definitely a case of stealing a customer base - not to mention, a case of really ugly shoes.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:23PM

Those shoes were all over last year, everyone had a version and they were all IDENTICAL. Target and Steve madden had versions last year, as well as Urban Outfitters and I saw a pair at Nordstrom, they probably WERE Juicy.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:24PM

I like the black version with a gold chain... these shoes don't seem bad to me at all.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:35PM

Um, yea Target did those same sandals last year as well... I actually have them from Target. Way to figure this out a year late.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:41PM

Yeah, this is definitely not new - I bought a Marc Fisher pair of those last year. And saw them pretty much everywhere else.

And "really ugly" seems a little harsh, doesn't it? Ouch.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:48PM

these aren't really ugly, they're pretty plain. there's not much offensive material there :-P

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:50PM

no these things are probably one of the tackiest shoes i have seen for summer, but i do agree they were out last year as well.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 12:51PM

Yeah I've had a Shelly's London pair for over a year -- they're adorable really well-made. While I do plan on wearing them again this summer, this post is old news.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 1:01PM

I know a former shoe buyer at who told me Target and Steven Madden shoes are produced by the same manufacturer. Target takes shoes that Steve Madden has designed and change a few details to make them slightly different. That is probably why these shoes look nearly identical.

posted by xnoelle25

Apr 30, 2008 1:01PM

i am so sick of everyone always posting that things are old news.
maybe it was for you, but i didn't know.

thanks fashionista for reporting this to those that were not aware.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 1:03PM

Man, looks like Fashionista has been oh-snapped (a few times over).

Um, so these shoes aren't that ugly to me. Just looks like they'd be hard to wear because there's not much securing them to the foot, and what is there is so near the toes.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 1:29PM

xnoelle25 we count on Fashionista for the cutting-edge, latest breaking and inside scoop on fashion and trends, no? This style of shoe is certainly none of those things.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 1:29PM

i have them in pink and i love them....thanks

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 1:29PM

i have them in pink and i love them....thanks

posted by mckeb753

Apr 30, 2008 2:08PM

umm...i don't really consider steve madden shoes and target shoes to be the same customer base...the difference in price alone should explain that....you think a $40 difference in price constitutes the same target market? after spending way too much time in merchandising, business models, and new product development classes, i can tell you that you are way off on that one.....just because they are both what you call "mass brands" doesn't mean anything...target is a big box retailer, while steve madden is more of a bridge-level designer....it would be one thing if it was wal-mart ripping off target or something like that...but seriously ladies...

i realize, reading back what i just wrote, that it sounds like i'm some kind of crazy steve madden fanatic, but actually, i don't even own a pair of his shoes, nor do i own shoes from target...i just get flustered when people mis-characterize target markets, apparently.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 2:11PM

yeah, I like the black ones. I dont think they are terrible....you could always do better. But they are just a simple, classic flat shoe to run around in

posted by miss

Apr 30, 2008 2:31PM

these were the rage last summer -- i think Dolce Vita made them but whoever made them they charged about $100.

I recommended them to friends because of how high the straps came, they made feet look smaller, and made small feet look absolutely adorable!

they are a little too ubiquitous/mass market for me now, but i would still recommend the Target ones to some people based on the flattering style. i will always prefer a fancy leather flip-flop over rubber ones.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 2:33PM

Actually I bought a Zara version about 2 1/2 years ago in France (copied from Shelly's of London?) so who's the real copycat here?

posted by kimmi

Apr 30, 2008 3:29PM

So tired of adventures in copyrights.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 4:24PM

skanky girls in israel have been wearing shoes exactly like this for years. theyre basically generic trashy sandals here.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 5:57PM

I'm not a skanky girl and I own a similar pair from Zara (from about 2 years ago) and I live in Israel:)
I guess it depends on how do you wear them...
And speaking of generic trashy shoes what about the leather byblical brown sandals? Everyone had them for years here and now Prada and D&G make them for 500$...you never know...

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 6:02PM

I have a similar pair from Zara that I bought two years ago, and also I live in Israel and I'm not a skanky girl (for the comment above)...It depends on how you wear them... and where. Flip flops belong to the beach...(that's what I believe).

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 6:51PM

I think those shoes are fairly ugly. But that's just my opinion. And McKeb, I think your disagreement with Target and Steve Madden's customers being very much the same is totally off. Just because they teach it to you in school doesn't mean it's always true. Every girl I know of has bought shoes at both retailers. Ironically when I had less money to spend on shoes, I bought shoes from Steve Madden and now that I have more money to spend on shoes, I invest less money in trends and am more tempted to shop at Target for something which I can also purchase from Steve Madden. For shoes I will love forever, I go to Barneys or Neimans. Maybe that's my opinion, but I think I'm on to something. . .

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 8:07PM

yves saint laurent also has a pair from last summer. you'd love them.

posted by guest

Apr 30, 2008 8:50PM

jeffrey campbell and lord and taylor had their own takes on the same chain link thong last summer...

posted by guest

May 01, 2008 10:34AM

Last summer... puhleeeze! I had these from over 2 years ago. By last year, they were old.

posted by guest

May 05, 2008 10:02AM

fashionista, i love you! so on point