In recognition of Mikko Shoes 10th birthday, founder, Michaela Longstaff shares her reflections on this milestone where her family-owned business has grown from a single store in Milford in 2013, to providing quality European footwear throughout New Zealand.

A decade of Mikko Shoes!
Honestly, it’s hard to believe that 10 years has passed since we first opened our doors. With so much passion and energy in our team sometimes I feel like hardly any time has passed at all. I feel incredibly grateful to our loyal and supportive customers who value enduring style, quality, fit and craftsmanship as much as we do – we wouldn’t have come so far without their loyalty!

What inspired me 10 years ago to start Mikko Shoes
I was working in the fashion industry and knew that I had a passion for retail. I love the thrill of solving a problem that someone is facing and I had heard from so many women who shopped overseas for quality European footwear and were frustrated that they couldn’t find the same brands in NZ.

To me footwear was such a fascinating area of fashion as it’s not just about the look of a shoe, there are so many technical components that go in to a shoe to make it fit and perform perfectly. I undertook this idea and turned it into gorgeous retail stores with premium quality brands and exemplary service. I’m so proud of where this journey has taken us.

What I love most about doing what I do
I’m a creative at heart so I love the energy that comes from the buying process, launching new season collections and hearing the feedback from customers. However, my favourite part about my day to day is my amazing team. I wouldn’t be where I am today without each one of them, I am so proud to have so many wonderful people working alongside me who all bring something unique to our team.

Why European shoes
I believe quality is at the heart of everything worth investing in. A circular and sustainable process of choosing quality pieces that will stand the test of time in both a quality and a styling sense. European shoes underpin that ethos, being the home of quality shoe making, the artisans who work for our brands are truly talented and I am so proud of the relationships we have built over time. Luxurious materials, technological investments and an artisanal community ensure that quality is at the heart of everything our brands create.

Key highlights over the last 10 years
We love to hear positive customer feedback. It keeps us going when we know so many women’s lives have been improved by what we offer. We love finding brands that we know our customers will love, or when our trusted brands introduce something new and exciting. We love to learn about new technologies or improvements from our brands who make considerable investments to improve on already fantastic products. Overall, it’s about connection with our customers and always learning and evolving.

What’s next for Mikko?
I never like to stand still, and coming up to our significant 10-year milestone I was in a state of assessing ‘where to from here’. What became obvious is that the same ‘seed’ that encouraged me to open up women’s stores in 2013 had been planted for men’s stores… And so (drum roll please), Mikko Men’s has been born and is being developed right now. Offering a parallel concept of quality European and international brands, Mikko Men’s will have stand-alone stores for the men in our lives. We are due to open two new stores around September 2023 for Spring/ Summer ’24 - one in Christchurch and one in Auckland. Very exciting!

We moved our Remuera women’s store down the road this month (March 2023) and we are so incredibly proud of the journey we have taken in Remuera. Our wonderful, loyal customers have supported us and we outgrew our previous store. We are now in a larger more high-profile premises and we look forward to many more years of delivering Mikko style in Remuera.

How I will be marking the occasion this month
It feels incredibly humbling to have reached this milestone. We are delighted to be offering a limited-edition tote bag for purchases (minimum spend applies), which features the beloved ‘Mikko lady’ that customers will have come to know. Plus, we have instore giveaways, and we’re taking time to celebrate as a team, reflecting on memories and reminding ourselves of just how far we have come. It’s going to be a really positive month!

Finally, I feel a sense of nostalgia and so much appreciation to everyone who contributed to enabling Mikko to reach this milestone. My genuine thank you to our wonderful team, and every lovely customer who chooses Mikko.

With love,
Michaela and team