Slip Into Big Reductions at Designer Shoe Outlet

On a recent trip to Italy, I waited in a steady rain with hundreds of others to gain entry to the Prada outlet. My hopes for elegant boots or a handbag at half price were shattered with a measly 20% off, hardly a hot deal on a $2,000 item.

Now I find I could have done a lot better at the Hanson & Hanson Designer Shoe Outlet in Orange County.

The Prada selection may be more limited, but there are other big-name designers represented, and the reductions start at 50% off on current styles. If you can settle for last season’s designs, you can save about 70% off the original retail price.

Shoes are the big deal here, and names such as Cynthia Rowley, Isaac Mizrahi, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabanna will keep you poring over the inventory. A pair of black patent leather shoes from Marc Jacobs that retailed for $315 were tagged at $94.50. From Vera Wang, some slingbacks at $92.50 reflected a reduction of more than $200, and Donald J. Pliner leather oxfords were only $20, down from $165.

The three sisters who own this outlet buy end-of-season items and overstocks from Southern California boutiques at liquidation prices. Sizes run 5 to 11. Not all styles are available in all sizes and they carry only women’s shoes.

That Prada deal at 50% gets a $660 handbag for $350. And some Francesco Biafia bags were 70% less than retail. For those addicted to fine shoes and elegant handbags, this is well worth the drive. Even with gas prices, it’s a lot cheaper than air fare to Italy.

Hanson & Hanson Designer Shoe Outlet, Mimi Plaza, No. C, 13911 Carroll Way, Tustin. (714) 730-6117.

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Weekend Super Sale: A stop in Torrance will bag a bargain at the Master Design Warehouse Sale and Recycling Program. New apparel and “idle masters,” or gently worn designs consigned by their clients, are offered at sizable reductions. Samples from last year’s collection are half-off, with $500 jackets selling for $250. Consignment pieces are 75% to 85% off original retail. The sale runs through July, but the resale pieces go fast.

Master Design Warehouse Sale and Recycling Program, 383 Van Ness, Suite No. 1605, Torrance. (310) 787-6770.

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For more bargains, visit https://www.bargainsla.com.