A business selling luxury shoes is on its way to CityCenterDC.
Hetom Hodikoglu, owner of high-end shoe store Sky Valet Shoes in Georgetown, is moving to CityCenterDC. Sky Valet sells luxury men’s and some women’s shoes. Hodikoglu signed a lease for 1,200 square feet between Carolina Herrera and Loro Piana on the H Street NW side of the development. Hodikoglu has operated shoe-related businesses in Georgetown for more than 30 years. He moved into his current space at 1800 Wisconsin Ave. NW twenty years ago and began selling high-end European shoe brands. Hodikoglu's store is now one of the few around town to carry brands like Zampiere, men’s shoes made from Italian and Spanish leather that start at $375 per pair. He also carries Alden, whose men’s casual and dress shoes can top $700. At the new CityCenterDC store, Hodikoglu plans to carry Zonkey Boots, Italian brand Bestetti and more design-oriented offerings from Harry’s of London.It’s an up-and-coming location, and it’s a very young vibrant location,” said Hodikoglu."
The retailer is also currently seeking a few more high-end women’s brands to carry at CityCenterDC. In Georgetown he carries Stuart Weitzman, Fratelli Rossetti, and Gabriel.
He’s also presenting John Lobb shoes, an exclusive British shoemaker with price tags running into the $1,500 range. Hodikoglu will continue to do the repairs in Georgetown where he has lower-level space, though he will accept shoes in need of repair at the CityCenter store.
Hodikoglu, an Armenian native who immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey in 1980, promptly began apprenticing at D.C. and Alexandria cobbler shops.
You work your whole life, and you say, 'Can I do this? Can I be in this type of place next to these brands, Ferragamo, Gucci,’” he said. “It’s a big thing for me. It’s a big achievement.”CityCenterDC has 30 world-class shops and eateries, plus residences, offices, and public spaces located in the heart of the district.
