Tiger-Fink

Anyone who grows up in Switzerland is likely to have fond memories of Tiger-Fink shoes. Generations of Swiss children have worn the famous slippers with the red pompom that were invented in 1938 by Zurich shoemaker Edi Glogg. ‘Everyone has a story about them,’ says Susanne von Albertini. ‘Me, my siblings, my children – we have always worn Tiger-Fink shoes.’ Susanne now runs the Tiger-Fink family store in Seefeld.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that it bears the same name as the legendary children’s shoes. Susanne was actually instrumental in saving these particular tigers from extinction. When she opened her first store and added the children’s footwear to the range, the brand had largely been forgotten. ‘They were only stocked by a few fusty old shoe shops,’ she recalls. That was back in the mid-eighties.

Tiger-Fink shoes are still some of Susanne’s best-selling items. She opened Tiger-Fink in Seefeld in 1993: ‘In those days, the neighbourhood was much more edgy, creative and inspiring than it is today. It was almost like Paris.’ Its residents included designers and creatives, but also lots of families.

Many of them have now been driven away by soaring rent prices: ‘You hardly see any children in the street these days,’ says Susanne with regret. But she doesn’t have to worry: ‘My customers come from all over Switzerland.’ Some families have been shopping at Tiger-Fink for generations.

They appreciate the friendly service and expert advice – and the fact that Susanne regularly adds new products to the range. She sells top-quality toys and furniture and also stocks a variety of classic children’s books because many parents like to read the old favourites to their kids.

Some customers come to Tiger-Fink specifically to buy Blabla dolls – knitted dolls in different sizes. Manufactured under fair conditions in Peru, they are also suitable for babies.