Via Firenzi

EDIT: ANOTHER –1 star for the people writing 5 star reviews and ONLY reviewing this store. 1 review and no pic… STILL avoid this store as it seems as if they have become even more slimy!!! Now they have taken to writing what seem to be fake reviews… even if they have a new manager and lowered the prices, enter at your own risk. I know that I would NEVER set foot in there again even if the shoes were free!

The owner is a totally oily ass wipe. Will never step foot in there again… until he closes his doors and the space is taken over by someone else.
Then I shall dance on this store’s grave, with shoes purchased elsewhere.
Avoid at all costs.

Since shoes are my weakness I wanted to come in and check out what the store had to offer. They also sell men’s shoes, purses and handbags, scarves and dresses. The owner was very boastful and arrogant. He makes sure to point out that he’s been in articles and magaziines. I never even talked about other stores in the neighborhood, but yet he seemed to be going off and putting down the owners of the other stores and saying that they don’t know anything about selling and products. This seems highly ridiculous because they seem to be pretty successful and get lots of business. I didn’t want to get in an argument, but he was very annoying and obtrusive in my shopping experience there. The owner is a firm believer that if you don’t talk to him then you aren’t to be taken seriously. The prices are outrageous here, and he talks about quality and having been a store manager for Gucci or some other high end designer store and that his items were of the same caliber for less the price. I’m sure if I were to go to Brazil I’d be able to get these shoes at the fraction of the price. I saw these Splash brand shoes there that he was charging $ 85 for and you can get this same brand at NeverMind on Belmont nowhere near what Via Firenzi was charging. Honestly, didn’t like the attitude and scared me from coming back. He doesn’t want you window shopping either, and had told me that you either come in or walk away. There are plenty of other boutique shops and I’d rather have one where I am actively seeking service than someone who is in my face.

I wanted to love this store. The shoes are great, the dresses are cute, but it is way overpriced and the owner is very pushy. He wants you to believe you are getting something special and it is going to go away if you don’t buy now. I went in there for a quick peek and saw some really cute dresses. They were around $ 200.00. The owner said that he gets them from a designer in L.A. and they are only sold in 12 stores around the country. Fine. I saw a pair of boots that I LOVED and they were $ 160.00. Very reasonable. He also showed me a beautiful red patent leather pump, which I thought he said were Prada. Unfortunately I had an appt. in 5 min. and said I’d come back. He gave me a copy of the CS booklet and he showed me the 2 dresses that I was looking at in the booklet. At first I thought he had gotten written up in the magazine and was quite impressed. When I got in my car, I noticed that it was an ad and he advertised having Designer handbags and shoes. I went to my appt. which was in a nearby neighborhood and afterwards went into another store. They had the same pair of boots that I LOVED. They were $ 56.00! I couldn’t believe it! Of course I bought them. I figured maybe they were knock offs of the designer one that were at Via Firenzi. I walked by the store and saw that they were the same pair of boots. So I called Via Firenzi and asked what designer the boots were. He said that they don’t carry any Designers that I would know of. I asked what was the name in the shoe or on the box. He said there is no name, he gets his shoes from a special Brazilian place. So, not only does he buy his stuff from the same place half the stores in the neighborhood do, he over charges immensly and he falsely advertises. I would shop around before I actually purchased anything from him. You might find the same item down the street for a fraction of the price.

This store features Italian, Brazilian and Spanish foot wear, designs that remind us of Gucci and Prada. but at a decent price.
We found the sales staff helpful in finding shoes for special occasions. Also in the shop is a decent selection of handbags and scarves.

The guy that works at this place is very rude. I walked in as I was checking my voice mail (not talking on the phone) and he came running and yelling that cell phones are not allowed in the store. I’m all about cell phone etiquette in public but that was plain poor customer service. There are plenty shoe boutiques in Wicker Park with friendly, nice employees and owners that I will take my shoe business too…