At the heart of Adelaide’s luxury footwear scene is Shouz, a beloved South Australian family-run business known for curating high-quality, fashion-forward shoes. Now, co-founders Kate and Annette have expanded their footprint with the launch of GARDA, a boutique footwear destination at Burnside Village offering comfort-focused shoes with European elegance and effortless style. We sat down with Kate to learn more about the inspiration, story, and philosophy behind GARDA.
Shouz is a very successfully South Australian Family Run business. With Shouz you have managed to create a brand that customer know they can go to for quality shoes with a difference. What inspired you to start Garda?
We saw an opportunity and gap in the South Australian Retail market to bring a retail store to Adelaide that offered a selection of comfort & lifestyle orientated brands that did not compromise on style & sophistication. Having traded in the Prestigious Burnside Village since 2020, we identified that many of our customers were requesting many brands that we simply did not have the means to house under the Shouz ‘umbrella’. Accordingly, GARDA was born.
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What was the inspiration behind the name of the business?
Annette and I had travelled to Italy to attend the GARDA Shoe Fair in the picturesque, lakeside town of Riva Del Garda, roughly 2.5hrs East of Milan. As we strolled the halls of the Expo, we were so inspired by the array of exhibitors, their product and the passion and energy that they put into each one of their ranges. Similarly, it is how Annette and I approach each season and how we build the collections for our stores. We felt the name was so fitting to take inspiration from a place where we felt so inspired and so, GARDA was born.
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What sets your brand apart not only from Shouz but also from other shoe stores in the market?
After 46 years of buying, retailing and fitting women of all ages with different types of footwear, we listened to feedback and what women are looking for and their expectations of brands, quality and comfort. Being a retailer of international brands at GARDA, we can constantly pivot to ensure we are offering our customers the most in demand products in the world as far as comfort and quality go and we travel the world to source them. The brands here are mostly European, have a heavy focus on footbeds, moulds and units that have had hours of technical engineering and testing, and will stand the test of time for travel, walking and everyday life.
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How would you describe the style and aesthetic of the shoes Garda sells?
Women of all ages deserve to not only be comfortable, but to be confident in their presentation whilst doing it. Sourcing European product means we can offer women sophisticated, refined yet understated footwear that passes the test of time for years to come. We aim to cater to a wide variety of women but put emphasis on the aesthetics of femininity and minimalistic class.
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Most of the brands sold by GARDA are European. What makes European shoes stand out?
European countries have been at the forefront of global fashion trends for centuries, often representing timeless elegance and understated sophistication. European shoes typically use premium materials such as full-grain leather, suede, and high-quality rubber or leather soles as well as the use of handcrafting techniques passed down through generations, resulting in precise construction and attention to detail. They often focus on durability over fast fashion, which appeals to quality-conscious consumers.
How do you ensure comfort, quality, and style are the pillars of GARDA?
Annette and I are both very fortunate to be a sample size so every single product in our ranges are tried and tested by us prior to being selected for the coming season. If the product does not fit to our stringent expectations, it is not suitable for our stores. Not only this, we sit with each of our suppliers, learn and understand the manufacturing process and ensure that the brand has undergone the level of checks and QC over a considerable period to uphold the expectation of quality that we, and our customers, expect and deserve.
Do you have a favourite collection, and if so, why?
Each brand brings a different aesthetic and style to GARDA. I love the wonders brand for their innovation, sustainability and balance of chunkier soles and refined uppers. Hispanitas has a unique, feminine and sophisticated handwriting that is perfect for the woman who needs to dress up a little. Frankie4 offer outstanding basics with engineered footbeds and arch support while never compromising on style and Pikilonos have such a distinct Spanish heritage to their brand rich in quality leathers, comfortable rubber outsoles and unique burnished leathers. Of course we can’t go past Birkenstock for signature summer sandals that have become and International summer and travel staple!
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How do you want your customers to feel when they wear your shoes?
Confident, sophisticated, comfortable but mostly, themselves! When we feel confident in our own skin we are the best versions of ourselves and we want every woman who wears GARDA product to feel the quality in every step they take.
Where do you see the brand in the next five years?
I see us working to bring the GARDA woman more variety of brands, more individual product based on feedback and demand. We want to be a destination for guaranteed service whether online or in store and we want to ensure people come to us for advice in not only comfort and fitting but style too.
