WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Our Story
Built on style, comfort, and a whole lot of heart since 1966. At Lorella, every shoe tells a story, one that started decades ago with a single pair of hands, a passion for craftsmanship, and a commitment to making everyday shoes that truly fit.
Lorella started with George, our founder and a proud Greek shoemaker who learned his craft back in 1951. When he moved to Australia in 1956, he opened a small shoe repair shop in Coorparoo, Brisbane. A year later, his wife Dimitria joined him, and together they set up their very first factory in a shed on Vulture Street, West End, in 1959.
From there, Lorella grew steadily. By the late '60s, our shoes were stocked in stores and pharmacies across Queensland, and eventually all over Australia and New Zealand. If you grew up around that time, chances are someone in your family had a pair of Lorellas tucked under the bed.
In 2004, we moved production offshore to meet growing demand, allowing us to expand our range, introduce more comfort-focused designs, and see Lorella shoes stocked in trusted shoe retailers and independent stores across Australia and New Zealand.
But no matter how much we’ve grown, some things haven’t changed. Lorella has always been about making shoes that feel good, ones you can wear every day and rely on. George was still hand-making our classic Sahara leather thongs right up until 2018 at the age of 89.
Today, we carry that same spirit forward. Every pair we make is shaped by the values George built the brand on: quality craftsmanship, fair pricing, and shoes that actually fit.
We’re proud to be part of your journey — one step at a time.
