Meet the Bonanno Signature Store Crew

Please welcome Wyndi our newest employee and Stuart Store Manager. Wyndi has great retail experience, and has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware in Clothing and Textile Merchandising. She's married to a wonderful man named Evan and they have an adorable little son, Benjamin.

Domenick and I couldn't be more thrilled to have Wyndi on board to run the store. She gives us the ability to go to apparel shows and a much needed breather a couple days a week.

Ashley who has become the face of our boutique with her cute dimples and big welcoming smile is also our part time model for the blog and website. She came on board in August of this year. Ashley and Wyndi at the DBA Christmas party.

Johanna (right), our "fashionista", is a ball of energy who always makes our store displays look amazing. She is seasonal and has been with us for 2 seasons now.

Kelly (left) who was one of our first employees back in 2005, fills in during Christmas break and is off to The University of Florida. Marilyn (center), who is always a joy to be around and is great at helping pick out the perfect outfit for any occasion, is also seasonal and has been with us for 3 seasons. Wyndi (left).

Domenick and I after the mad rush of the Holidays.

All of us here at Stephen Bonanno Sandals wish you a
HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Cancun, Mexico

Good morning Vivian & Domenick :) Here are the pics from Chichen Itza!!!

Ashley--Hobe Sound, Florida

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Yellowstone, Wyoming

Here's my Bonanno's as I discover my new "home" state, Wyoming. My first visit to Yellowstone in September was just fantastic. I actually laid my eyes on a grizzly bear and a cub along with many other animal species in their natural habitats. Take care all and have a wonderful holiday.
Tamara -- Wyoming

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Disney Magic cruise

We left Port Canaveral, stopped in Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico.

Theresa, Samantha and Becky -- Stuart, Florida

... and Minnie, of course

Lost and Found

Domenick was at the Palm Beach International Airport yesterday picking up his family who just flew in from New Jersey. He was down by the Baggage Check waiting for their luggage when he noticed a small plastic baggie on the conveyor belt. It was still there after all the luggage had been picked up, so he took a closer look and saw that it was filled with Bonanno Flowers Sets! Too wild.

So, if you know a Bonanno lover who was heading down to sunny South Florida yesterday (Friday), let 'em know we have their baggie full of flower sets, here in Stuart.

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Stuart, Florida

Right here in our Stuart boutique, it was Joyce and Cheryle from North Carolina's first time in our quaint little town. Showing off their Monique's in Black with Silver.

Sailfish Sandals

Love these Emma Embroidery Sandals in White and Nova.

I assume Tiffany ordered the "Sailfish" because she's from Stuart and Stuart's the Sailfish Capital of the World.

Go Cleveland Browns!!

Laura, a Browns football fan from Stuart, ordered these really fun sandals in Pearwood and Clementine.

Photo Shoot at Stephen Bonanno's!

The Betty Beehives along with Inez Frid (photographer) with I Productions, and Tara Biek (Director) http://www.tarabiekcreative.com/ were in our boutique for a photo shoot on "The Stuart Secret" A local downtown Contest promoting our quaint little downtown. They asked Domenick to be part of the shoot, playing himself. Here's my handsome hubby in action ...

Warming up his audience ...

Giving them the low down on our sandals ...

Take 1 ... and ... Action!

It's a wrap!

Good job bayba. xxoo, Vivy

You can find out more about the "Stuart Secret" @ http://www.stuartsecret.com/ Enter and win!

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Atlanta, Georgia
I just relocated to Atlanta, GA ... Even in Blueland I still wear my Bonanno's! (Blueland is the home the Atlanta Thrashers professional hockey team!)

Jen -- Originally from Stuart, Florida

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Stuart, Florida

The Annual Antique Car Show downtown Stuart.

This beauty was parked directly in front our our boutique, so I just had to get a shot with my Bonanno's. 1927 Rolls Royce.

Vivian -- Stephen Bonanno Sandals

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Stuart, Florida

I'm with my son at the Hobgoblin Parade and Antique Car show.

Sharise -- Stuart, Florida

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Mykonos, Greece

Me and my Bonanno's at Little Venice in Mykonos Greece

Erika -- Chicago

Size Chart: Jack's vs Bonanno's

We get asked every day ... "if I wear a 81/2 in Jacks what would I be in Bonanno's?" I admit, it can get very confusing, but this is the way we understand the differences to be:

Jacks run narrow.
Jacks do not have a true 1/2 size. Their 1/2 sizes translate into a wider top, not a longer length.
I also notice they sometimes put a "W" next to their sizes. I think this also means a 1/2 size.

Bonanno's are a true B width.
Bonanno's have a true 1/2 size. There is an 1/8" difference between half sizes.

Because Jacks run narrow, this is the way their sizes translate into Bonanno's:
Jacks size 6 is actually a Bonanno's size 6 length with 5.5 top
Jacks size 6.5 is actually a Bonanno's size 6
Jacks size 7 is actually a Bonanno's size 7 length with 6.5 top
Jacks size 7.5 is actually a Bonanno's size 7
Jacks size 8 is actually a Bonanno's size 8 length with 7.5 top
Jacks size 8.5 is actually a Bonanno's size 8
Jacks size 9 is actually a Bonanno's size 9 length with 8.5 top
Jacks size 9.5 is actually a Bonanno's size 9
Jacks size 10 is actually a Bonanno's size 10 length with 9.5 top
Jacks size 10.5 is actually a Bonanno's size 10
If you find your Jacks to fit differently from our chart, we welcome your feedback.

More differences between the two brands:















If you notice, underneath the top strap, the Jacks are cracking and peeling. This is because they are made of vinyl. The top part and whipstitch are made of cow's leather. As you know, both brands get looser as you wear them, but when leather backed with vinyl stretches something has to give and the vinyl starts to crack. Once this happens you have to toss them.
On the other hand, the entire tops of the Bonanno's, in and out are made of soft Kid-Skin leather as well as the whipstitch. That's why they don't crack, they're much more comfortable and you can have them tightened back down to their original size at our factory, if you choose to resole them. 561-659-4161 ext 0 (repair dept). How cool it that?!






















Another reason Bonanno's are much more comfortable ... Besides the Kid-Skin tops, the heels, insoles and soles are made of 100% leather. None of the knock offs can make this claim. The Jacks are a combination of leather and man made materials. If you look closely you can see the bottoms are different than the insoles. That is a man-made material my friends ... and to think you pay more or less the same price.
Just thought you might want to know ...

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Madrid, Spain

I noticed my frog sandals were on the blog, so I thought you might like an update on their travels. I spent last week in Madrid; walked all over the city for two days wearing only my Bonanno’s. I never leave the country without them.

Shannon -- Phoenix, Arizona

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Nashville

I'm standing in the Nashville Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center lobby... a special light is shining down (I'm sure there's a name for this sort of thing but I don't know what it is) on the floor, presenting the IBMA logo... that's the International Bluegrass Music Association...

Tony won Banjo Player of the Year, Recorded Event of the Year, Instrumental Album of the Year; a clean sweep, he won everything for which he was nominated ...

Assunta -- Fair Lawn, NJ

Great picture Assunta!

Congratulations Tony, we love you and couldn't be happier for you!

You guys may remember, Tony Trischka, our brother in-law, played in Lake Worth, Florida promoting his album "Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular" a couple of months back. You can refer back to previous posts to see photos of him & his band playing.

Click link below to get to the "world's greatest banjo player's" web-site.

http://www.tonytrischka.com/

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Boston
With the Red Sox in the playoffs I thought it was appropriate to send in a Fenway picture! So here are my Arbutus/White Bonanno’s in front of the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
GO SOX!

Sue -- Mansfield, MA

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

British Virgin Islands

My Bonanno’s traveled to Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda for my honeymoon.
Sarah - Norwalk

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Philidelphia

While Met's fans might not be very happy with the way the baseball season finished, Alyssa found the Phillies "Platinum" clinching weekend to be perfect!!

Here's my contribution from this past weekend!

These are my platinum/platinum ones :-)

Alyssa -- New Jersey

Jupiter Inlet

Taken from the upstairs porch of the Jupiter Inlet Beach Club Here I am relaxing and enjoying the gorgeous view (& Bonanno's) before going to a belated birthday dinner with my husband. By the way Vivian, the 'rush order' arrived in time for my big day and I love my new color combo.

Sue - Tequesta, Florida

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

The Bahamas
Hi Vivian and Domenick from the Bahamas! We stayed at the Sandals Resort for our honeymoon. I had my Bonanno bag, monogrammed with my new initails, with me the whole time. It's hard to see with all the shadows, but it's in Sable with Arbutus. Love it!

Bianica -- Boca Raton, Florida

The Flip Flop File (Customer's Stories)

"Just Because I Can"














If you look closely at this photo you'll see why Margy's statement says it all.
She ordered the Palm Beach style in a rainbow of colors.
Every flower from the left shoe to the right is a different color. A veritable cornucopia of "Kidskin Color"!

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Las Vegas, Nevada

Me and my Bonanno's at the Bellagio.

Erika

Chicago

Meet Our Newest Employee

Ashley came on board last week and we're excited to have her. She is studying Radiology locally at Keiser University in Port St. Lucie. Her favorite things to do are shopping, going to the beach and dinner out with her boyfriend Marc. As a matter of fact, she was out shopping in Downtown Stuart with her boyfriend recently, happened into our shop, and asked if we were hiring. Ashley took an application home with her and really impressed us during her interview with her "Bonanno" knowledge, and her sweet personality was the clincher. Next time you're in town, come on in and say hello to Ashley.

A Message From My "Other" Brother

My brother David & sister in-law Su

Hey big sister, I must say, without bias, your blog is becoming a wonderful source of entertainment for me. You offer historical information about Dad's sandals; rich with detail and as far as I'm concerned, completely accurate.

It's really nice to see customers come into your boutique showing off their Bonanno's or sending you funny stories relating to the sandals. Good stuff!

Furthermore, the images and text you receive from globe trotters solidifies Dad's hard work and dream of making a fine sandal that would stand the test of time and fashion.

It seems like just yesterday, under the glow of the dining room light, Dad and Mom would make one sandal at a time. His heavily calloused hands would cut the leather with precision like Michelangelo chipped away at David. It's an artistic skill that maintains a steady heartbeat today, thanks to Steve, Monica and the both of you.

Keep up the good work and keep posting images of your great customers.

Your loving little big bro Dave

The Originals

The lovely Dale Lovette popped in today, and to my delight was wearing an original pair of Bonanno's made by Mr. Luigi and my Dad, back some 35 years ago. They're still in pretty good shape. She says she can't part with them to be resoled, they're her favorites among the many she still has in her closet. Too Cool!




















Notice there isn't a name stamped inside the sandal.
Back then, every part was literally hand punched and hand cut, even the soles were hand drawn around the foot. In fact, Dale shared that when she first started noticing the sandals with the JR stamp inside, even back then, she (and her friends) knew first hand Jack's were the knock-offs.



















Thank you Dale for sharing your treasured Bonanno's with us.

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Lake Worth, Florida

Domenick and I went to see our brother in-law, Tony Trischka, who was in town with his Bluegrass band. They had a gig at the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth. So ... I just had to get a "Where in the World are Your Bonanno's" pic in.

Vivian (Stephen Bonanno Sandals) Wearing the "Vivian" in Platinum/White

Stuart, Florida

"Tony Trischka Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular"

The show was fantastic, we had a great time with family and friends that came out to see them. They played the next night in Hollywood Florida, then stayed at our place in Stuart. Thank you to our out of town friend Serge, who helped us accommodate a five piece band and their equipment by letting us bunk a couple of guys at his place too. The next day they were off to a gig in Tampa.

Check out the world's greatest banjo player and tour dates in your area.

http://www.tonytrischka.com/

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Atlanta, Georgia

Me and my cousin Elle. We were celebrating her first birthday. We weren’t in any exciting place, but the shoes and her face are cute! Just thought I would share it with you!

Thanks so much,
Tip
Orlando, FL

We'd love to hear from you ... When you're vacationing, or off doing something interesting, snap a picture in your Bonanno's and send it along with a little story about where and when to: vivianb@stephenbonanno.com Don't forget to add your first name, city and state you are from.You keep sending them, we'll keep posting them.

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Queens, New York
My Bonanno's went to Shea Stadium in New York to watch the Mets play the Florida Marlins. The Marlins won the game -- perhaps in honor of my Florida-made Bonanno's!
Hope you are having a great summer!

Kim
West Hartford, CT














We'd love to hear from you ... When you're vacationing, or off doing something interesting, snap a picture in your Bonanno's and send it along with a little story about where and when to: vivianb@stephenbonanno.com Don't forget to add your first name, city and state you are from.You keep sending them, we'll keep posting them.

Celebs in the House

Celebs? Ok, you might be saying to yourselves, "I don't think I recognize these Celebs." I'll give you that, but they're very special to us!
Meet the girls of Summer (Historic Downtown Stuart Style)
The Lovely, Sweet and Very Stylish Paula, Joanne and
Wyndi. ... all wearing their Bonanno's ... of course.

The Flip Flop File (Your Bonanno Stories)

Got a touching or funny story to share or just a great experience related to your Bonanno's? Send it along to vivianb@stephenbonanno.com Please include your first name, city and state. We welcome your photos.

Hi Vivian & Domenick,
My husband & I were in your new shop this morning picking up another sandal order. Please know we enjoyed our visit with you two regarding our dogs and our recent loss. You two were so sweet to share your time with us. It meant so much. Later today I remembered something that happened not long ago I thought you two might enjoy.....

Our Blk Std Dachshund, Chance, had the crazy habit of licking the inside of my husbands shoes. One day I had left my Bonanno's out and later found him licking the inside of them. I screamed for my husband that he was actually licking my Bonanno's. Being the neatnick that I am, I was in total shock!

At that my husband yelled back, "What can I tell you, he has GOOD TASTE!!!"

Now that I miss him so, I'm happy he got to lick those beautiful sandals and smell that great leather. Thanks again for our visit this morning and letting me give your sweet Rippy a little kiss! P.S. The color was perfect!

Sue -- Tequesta, Florida

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Lake Como, Italy
Here is a picture of me in my Bonannos in Lake Como, Italy on my honeymoon. I wore them the whole trip!

Sarah -- St. Louis, MO

We'd love to hear from you ... When you're vacationing, or off doing something interesting, snap a picture in your Bonanno's and send it along with a little story about where and when to: vivianb@stephenbonanno.com Don't forget to add your first name, city and state you are from.

You keep sending them, we'll keep posting them.

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Chicago Illinois
My recent trip to Chicago. The Cub's baseball game -
Wrigley Field.
Melissa -- Winter Park, Florida















We'd love to hear from you ... When you're vacationing, or off doing something interesting, snap a picture in your Bonanno's and send it along with a little story about where and when to: vivianb@stephenbonanno.com
Don't forget to add your first name, city and state you are from.

You keep sending them, we'll keep posting them.

Where in the World are your Bonanno's?

Hollywood California

This weekend our Bonanno’s got a trip to California. The Bonanno’s took in a little shopping in Pasadena and Beverly Hills before heading to the Hollywood Bowl to see John Williams conduct the LA Phil. Too bad the man in front would not move out of the way – he just did not get why we wanted to take a picture of our sandals and the bowl.
Becky and Shannon --Phoenix AZ























We'd love to hear from you ... When you're vacationing, or off doing something interesting, snap a picture in your Bonanno's and send it along with a little story about where and when to:vivianb@stephenbonanno.comYou keep sending them, we'll keep posting them.

Essentially Palm Beach

I started thumbing through some books my brother loaned me ages ago. I've always loved looking through Lilly's guide to entertaining books ... they're just so pretty to look at.












Check this out, an autographed copy from Lilly herself to Monica and Stevie




















A couple of photos of models wearing Bonanno's