Michael Beijer Feb 12, 2014:

~ I think Ron's 'tijdloze modellen' sounds good, as does 'klassiekers'.

Lena Vanelslander (asker) Feb 12, 2014:

Hi Michael The first time I encountered it I translated it as an "important element", but this sentence really makes me doubt if I'm not interpreting it wrong. I mean, a collection, comprised of important elements, referring to shoes? (it's a in catalogue of shoes)

Michael Beijer Feb 12, 2014:

Hi Lena, the word staple is being used here in the following sense:

• a main or important element of something:

usage examples:

bread, milk, and other staples
Greek legend was the staple of classical tragedy

• a main item of trade or production:

usage examples:

rubber became the staple of the Malayan economy
BIT's four product groups are regularly demanded staples throughout the world.
A key trend limiting real-terms growth in the major developed markets was the commodity status of staples such as milk, cheese and cream.

(Oxford Dictionaries)

My Van Dale has:

staple products = stapelproducten
their staple diet / food is rice = hun hoofdvoedsel is rijst

(but I’m not sure that 'stapelproducten' covers it)

maybe 'klassiekers'?

(as in: Soul Klassieker(s) = Soul staple(s))