The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

In Cairo, there is a shoe shop on
almost every street waiting to be explored. The possibility of stepping into
one always makes this reviewer swoon with delight. Located on the
overwhelmingly congested Abbas El Akkad Street in Nasr City, Gemi offers a wide
range of women’s footwear at very cheap prices.

The shop’s
spacious interior carries a variety of styles and designs. Despite the fact
that Gemi’s shoes suffer from poor quality, their cheap prices are very
tempting. This means that Gemi’s shoes might not last for more than a few weeks
at best and need to be replaced, but this is one more reason why we shop there.
Buying new shoes is always music to this reviewer’s ears.

Gemi is usually
a loud shop; customers are hustling about their business and sales attendants
are running around trying to get everyone their right order. If the shop is too
crowded, you might have to wait a while for the assistance of a sales attendant.
On a Sunday morning, the shop was uncharacteristically quiet; we were the
centre of the staff’s attention, which made us feel a bit uncomfortable.

At the time
of this reviewer’s visit, most items were on sale. A sign declared that all
high-heeled sandals cost 75LE. Most of the high-heeled collections tend to go
overboard with the jewel-studded designs and metal embellishments. Another
collection of high-heeled sandals and gladiator sandals was priced at 50LE.

Gemi also
stocks a wide collection of summer-friendly sandals and flip-flops. Most were
priced at 50LE, but a certain collection of rubber-soled flip-flops sold for a
mere 20LE. This collection looks very cheap and therefore is best worn at the
beach or at home.

You can also
find a nice selection of wedges for 75LE, and pumps are also available for 75LE. The back of the shop carries a diverse selection of high-heeled satin
pumps and sandals, available in colours like fuchsia, red and magenta as well
as turquoise, pastel pink, gold and silver. Evening clutches were a bit extreme
with the flashiness. One particular clutch had a sequined golden front and a
yellow pleather back (100LE). Red and purple clutches are also on offer.

As for
Gemi’s handbags selection, most purses suffer from too many colours, sequins or
cheap-looking faux-leather. Bags with fake Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada monograms
sell for 75LE; they are poor imitations and can easily be spotted as
knock-offs.   

Gemi also
has a tiny section of kids’ shoes, which surprisingly cost more than most of
the women’s footwear. A pair of adorable pink and blue ballet flats sells for
75LE.

Gemi is
definitely not the first shop to stop by when you’re looking for quality shoes,
but when the money is tight and you need some basic footwear, it’s definitely a
good choice.