About Us
What began with a chance encounter with a street vendor selling an intriguing pair of 1940’s carved wood shoes on the street in San Francisco in 1999 has grown into a modern, cutting-edge shoe line based in Dallas, Texas. Lucky Lou Shoes feature designs based on vintage themes and pop culture icons, yet they retain a thoroughly fresh, rock ‘n roll feel. Lucky Lou Shoes are like no other shoes in the world.
In 2004, Owner and Designer LouLou von Hochtritt took inspiration from that first pair of shoes she found on the street and using her love of vintage fashion and history, she turned it all into Lucky Lou Shoes. This design-savvy entrepreneur started her footwear company with an eye toward the Rockabilly community and its own specific tastes and fashions
“Lucky Lou Shoes was the first company to put a hand-carved Tiki on a shoe, rather than a Tiki statue being something you only saw in a Tiki bar or in someone’s back yard” she said. “A few other companies have tried to copy it, which is flattering, but Lucky Lou really gained notoriety for being the first and we’ll probably always be known for that”.
Other styles have included the iconic ‘Souvenir’ style, which was based on the original shoe found in San Francisco. The Souvenir has a little hut and palm tree carved into the wood heel – a style which was originally produced in the Philippines during World War II for Allied GIs to bring back to their wives and girlfriends as souvenirs of their tour.
While von Hochtritt’s designs may be rooted in fashion history, many of her designs and achievements prove that women from all walks of life can wear her shoes.
“I was in Lucky Magazine a few years ago and received about 500 orders every week for 6 months. These were from women who didn’t know anything about Rockabilly – they just saw a beautiful shoe”. Von Hochtritt took that knowledge and started designing not only for the Rockabilly mode, but for all women.
All Lucky Lou Shoes are still hand-carved by talented artists in several countries around the world. As Lucky Lou Shoes continues to grow, LouLou is branching out to produce a high-end, couture line under her own name. Think delicately-carved Dragons, Skulls with Roses, anatomical bones, seashells and more.