Many years ago you bought a pair of classical, semi-handcrafted shoes in this store and just because you didn’t care about the shoes always as you should have done, unfortunately they begin to fall apart… You want to buy them again.

You enter the same shoestore again, a decade later – without having the old pair with you. You describe them and the store-owner immediately remembers your pair. He still knows the brand and style and regrets that the manufacturer had to give up business a couple of years ago.

He gets you two similar pairs in your size from the stockroom. One is close, the other is perfect. In shape, colour, quality and price. The owner assists you in trying them on, talking about the quality-details and the manufacturer’s history. While you drink a rich espresso.

You buy the pair, and another black and simple one you needed anyway. You pay by credit card, get shoestrings and polish for free.

The whole procedure took less than twenty minutes, you didn’t have any stress about sorting shoestrings, too high prices or missing sizes. You had a calming shopping experience.

This store does exist: Meijer, in Amsterdam’s high-class P.C. Hooftstraat, since 75 years. With classical-modern shoes from England, Italy, Spain and, of course, The Netherlands. No brand-hype at all, just shoes.

Perfect!

Meijer Schoenhandel, P.C. Hoofstraat 45, 1071 BN Amsterdam, Tel. 020-6643355

For the 75th anniversary dutch artist Rien Verschuur has created this motive for his friends, Meijer’s owner-family: