Brett's Christmas Wish List

If you didn't catch that in the video, here are Brett's top picks:

Men's Hunter rainboot in Olive

Hush Puppies - Blockade

Ugg slipper - Ascot (in China Tea)

Blundstone - 561 Crazy Horse

Men's Smartwool socks - Barn and Hiker Street socks

Ciao Bella!

That’s what you’ll hear if you walk down the street in our great Gidigio heels and boots! We picked up this fabulous line all the way from Le Marche, Italy! Known as affordable luxury (who doesn’t love the combination of those words?) this line was created by the Bettis family in 1996. It’s a small operation, literally Giorgio DeLasandro, his wife and son, plus eight other employees produce the shoes.

What’s so great about the brand? The shoes are perfect for work, walk and wine! They’re not over the top, surprisingly comfortable and cute enough for a night on the town. They’re also rare because you can’t find them on Zappos and we are the only store that carries them on the west coast. You’ll never see another woman out there with your shoes on! Talk about one of a kind! Another great bonus is that comparable Italian brands on average cost about $100 more. So you’ll get the Italian fashion at a great price!

We have two boots and three shoes in stock by them currently. One boot is a black heel and the other is a grey/brown flat. Both lace up the front, which is a popular trend this year. The three heels are very classic looking and we have them in a black, brown and a grey. Once you put them on you’ll be amazed at how great they feel.

We love supporting other small businesses like us and we really believe in the brand. In the words of an Italian – Arrivaderci! We’ll see you soon!

What's Sole Food All About?!

Here's a little background for all of those inquiring minds.

Sole Food opened in July 2003 as an expansion of the already well known and fabulous Kids Club. The idea behind it was a one stop shop for moms to find great unique shoes for the kids, but also stylish yet comfortable shoes for themselves as well. Since we opened our doors six years ago we have seen our store grow and change.

If any of you remember our first location in U Village you probably remember our tiny little space that you could barely get your stroller into. Some weekends it was like an obstacle course trying to fit in the door! It was exciting for us to outgrow our first location because that meant we could expand into a bigger and better one. We could also offer more great products to our loyal customers! Two and a half years ago we opened our new location, just a few doors down from our old one. We also decided to provide shoes for the often forgotten man!

A few things that make our store unique are we are locally owned and there is only one location! We think of ourselves as a specialty boutique and with fewer than 15 employees we love the small business feel. It allows us to create relationships with those customers that come in every time they need a new shoe. We also carry a lot of great brands such as Camper, Miz Mooz, See Kai Run, El Nautralista, Frye, Cydwoq and Umi. In order to provide you with such a selection of shoes we usually only get one or two of each size in each style. What does that mean? Get ‘em while they’re hot! If you see a shoe in the store that you like you better not hesitate for too long. Many times customers come back and we’re out of their size! Is this a bad thing? We don’t think so. While you may have had your heart set on a certain shoe, most of the time our excellently trained staff can help you find a great substitute that will soon have you falling in love all over again.

Selling shoes to our local community is something we love to do. We hope you the customer can sense that every time you come into the store!

Sole Food taken over by ghosts!

We would like to thank everyone who adopted a ghost during the month of October and helped make our donation drive a huge success! We adopted a total of 245 ghosts! All of the proceeds went to the Spina Bifida Association of Washington State, which is an organization that helps local families and individuals affected by this birth defect, as well as trying to promote the prevention of it. October was Spina Bifida Awareness Month and although October is over, it's never too late to help out and learn more about this disorder. Our local Spina Bifida Assocation chapter's website can be found at: http://www.sbaws.org/.

Keep Your Boots and Shoes Looking New!

Does this situation sound familiar?

Step 1: Find the perfect pair of boots.

-There are so many styles of boots to choose from, and being the true shoe trooper you are, you stuck it out and delved through what seemed like hundreds of styles to find THE PAIR that you had been looking for.

Step 2: Buy them before everyone else does.

-Whew! You didn't think you would find THE PAIR, but by some miracle you have. Now you must buy them before someone else does. because you know it's only a matter of time before they sell out. The moment you slip on your new boots you realize the blood, sweat, and tears were well worth it.

Step 3...

-Wait...what? There's a step three?

Well since you spent a good amount on those brand spankin' new pair of boots, it would be a shame if you didn't try to keep them that way. That's where good shoe maintenance comes in. Properly maintaining your boots (or shoes) is the best way to keep them not only looking their best, but it also makes sure they will last their longest. So how do you do this? Two words: clean and protect.

Keeping your shoes clean is a good start. Dirt and grime not only make shoes look worn out and dull, it also causes them to wear out faster. If you have canvas or fabric shoes, using a shoe cleaner like Kiwi Select Universal Cleaner is a good way to keep them clean. For more delicate materials like nubuck or leather, using Kiwi Saddle soap is your best choice. Not only does Saddle soap do a good job of getting the dirt off shoes, it also keeps the leather moisturized (preventing cracking)!

After your shoes are clean, you'll want to protect them from the elements. If you are going to be out in a lot of rain, using a heavy-duty waterproofing product like Kiwi Mink Oil on your smooth leather boots or shoes is a good way to go, but if your shoes are made of other materials (such as suede, fabric, etc.), or if a lighter-duty protection is desired, using a silicone spray like Kiwi Select All Protector is a great alternative. As a bonus, spraying your shoes will also help repel stains! Always test any products on your shoes in an inconspicuous place first to make sure they are colorfast.

So where can you find these items? Sole Food, of course! Taking the small easy step to clean and protect your footwear is definitely worth the time and effort. THE PAIR of boots you've always wanted will now last that much longer and your shoes will definitely thank you for it.

How Green Are Your Shoes?

When thinking about ways of making our lives more green and eco-friendly, I bet that your shoes aren't the first thing to come to mind. However, there are surprisingly big changes happening within the footwear industry. And not only have shoe manufacturers gotten greener, so have we! Here are a few ways that we are trying to be more green:

Many of the brands that we carry have made environmental responsibility a core principle to their business. J-41, Keen, and Simple, for instance, are now making shoes with natural and recycled materials, water-based glues, and are trying to reduce their overall environmental footprint (no pun intended). The Spanish shoe brand El Naturalista has been doing this since their inception in 2001. El Nat's are environmentally friendly and built to last. Here are a couple of the latest El Naturalistas we have in our store right now: the N440 shoe in Mora and the N443 boot in Olive from their Wakataua line.


















Not only are we carrying greener shoes and accessories, but we have also implemented a recycling program for our store that has lowered our waste by over 70%! All this talk of green making you want to save some? We are a Seattle Weekly Green Card business. Visit http://greencard.seattleweekly.com/ to learn more!

Men: Are You Geared up for Fall?

Hey guys, my name is Brett and I am the Stock Manager here at Sole Food and oversee everything that comes into the store. I am always on the lookout for unique and hip shoes for men.

It's officially fall! And while it doesn't feel like it at the moment, it will be getting much colder soon. Need not worry guys, we have you and your feet covered. There are lots of great fall styles in stock now. I would like to highlight a couple of shoes that caught my eye:

Rock Out with Your Vogs Out

This is the CBC shoe from John Fluevog. These new arrivals caught my attention the moment I took them out of the box. It's a shoe that would look equally awesome at home, in a board meeting or on the downtown streets. Check out the rad blue laces! (Don't worry, they come with a pair of brown laces if blue isn't your style). Made in Portugal with all leather uppers and liner, these shoes are made to last.

These Aren't Your Grand-Pappy's Wingtips

This is the Paul shoe from J Shoes. I already own a pair of J Shoes and I have been wearing them TO death. I couldn't wait to try these on. Like the John Fluevog's, they are classy, yet casual. This shoe would be a perfect companion for going out with the guys on the weekend, or going out on a date. Its oil-tanned leather upper will only look better with age (think Frye boots) and its re-soleable bottom will ensure a long life for the shoe. Like J Shoes? I recommend checking out the Mojave boot and the Kew slip-on (both of which can be found @ Sole Food right now).


If these shoes pique your interest, as they did mine, drop by the store so you can test them and our other fall styles out for yourself. Until next time...walk on!

Try-On a Pair of Privos or Indigos and WIN!

Try-on a pair of Privos or Indigos and win this Friday September 25th @ Sole Food! Come meet a company representative from 11 to 3 pm and get rewarded just for trying on some shoes, how sweet is that!?

smARTwool Gallery Artist: Trine Bumiller

We hear many people come in and say that we have one of the best Smartwool collections in the area. We love to carry the Smartwool brand because of the quality, function and fun patterns. We are very proud of the selection we provide. A few seasons ago Smartwool began to create a smARTwool Gallery featuring different artists. This year’s artist is none other than Trine Bumiller.

If you have not seen Trine’s artwork you are missing out! I have to admit I hadn’t heard of Trine myself until our new Smartwool socks came in. Immediately I began searching for more information about this artist because her socks were so dang cute! The designs are inspired by her “Tending my Father’s Garden” series which she created after her father’s passing. Through painting she was able to cope with the loss of her father and celebrate his life. The paintings are beautiful and being from the Northwest I fell in love with the nature patterns and the bold colors she used.

I would absolutely love to have a painting done by Trine, but until then I will settle with wearing her artwork on my feet! We have three great styles featuring Trine’s work: a Non-Cushion, a Cushion and a Knee-High! All of them have great patterns and my personal favorite is the Natural History/Non Cushion in the blue and red color pattern (middle). I can’t wait to buy a few more pairs once the weather starts getting colder!

It's raining men('s shoes)!

Hey guys (and gals) we're up for Best in Men's Shoes! And last time I checked we were in 2nd place, so help us out and vote! We do have great women's and children's shoes too...but we all know the guys in our lives could use a little boost in the shoe department :)

*Speaking of, new styles for guys just showed up from Camper, Tretorn, Hush Puppies and J Shoes!

What’s all the Hush about?

Who says you can’t wear bright colors on your feet going into fall and winter? Come in and check out our new Hush Puppies that just arrived for fall. We have two great new styles – the Colette in bright blue suede (it looks more like a royal purple) and the Lilianna in eye popping red and basic black suede. Are you afraid that the suede will get ruined in our rainy Seattle climate? Don’t worry because Hugh Puppies have used their Worry-Free Suede technology which is treated to repel water and resist scuffs and stains. It’s the perfect shoe to add some pop to your wardrobe!

We also have a great new style in for Men! The Drivetrain has the same Worry-Free Suede technology but has the added benefit of a Vibram sole. Not only is it a functional shoe but its also fashionable. This half boot/half moccasin is a modern twist on a contemporary style. Featured in brown suede.

Wednesday Specials!

We're testing the waters with a new sweet deal for Facebook friends! Join us on Facebook and we'll notify you every week with a new "Wednesday Special". That means every Wednesday there will be some awesome deal that only YOU know about...could be that all size 8's are on sale, or even an entire brand at a discounted price! Stay tuned to find out what our first deal will be (*Wednesday Special deals are valid on Wednesdays only @ Sole Food)

Switch to Wool Athletic Socks

While perusing an old copy of Real Simple (January 2009)I found this great tip about preserving the life of your shoes.
"Wool socks aren't only for cold days...'A lesser-known benefit of wool is that is can help keep sneaker interiors stink-free, thanks to its natural ability to wick moisture away,' says Rodney Kott, Ph.D., a sheep specialist at Montana State University, in Bozeman"

With that being said we have an OUTRAGEOUS selection of Smartwool socks to choose from for the whole family! If I do say so myself, the kids selection is our best yet. Clearly they're called Smartwool for a reason...

And if you hadn't heard yet we're having a BUY 3 GET THE 4TH FREE on our entire selection of Smartwool socks (ends 8/31/09).

Our favorite back to school styles!

For all you kids heading back to school, I wanted let you in on some of my favorite styles that have been great for style and fit!



Primigi's Jenna-E black tall boot: sizes 28-38
This boot is the classic style for girls to match with outfits but won't slow them down on their way to class. The rubber sole helps for great traction on rainy days and the soft leather makes it nice for the fit around the ankle.

Twig Fall Collection: sizes vary between 23 - 35
One of our newer lines, has been a great addition for kids. The fashion looks are all euro trends with great color.
My favorite fit for girls is the Sue Maryjane; with its velcro d-ring strap(for heal placement), soft leather lining, and rubber sole.
My favorite for boys is the Buddy Velcro Boot; it has double velcro d-rings (I love a D-ring fit!), rubber sole for the playground and more of that soft leather lining which is great for breath-ability.

Ecco's Bumerang Wombat in black and brown: sizes vary between 27 - 38
This is a great simple shoe that will work for any day of the year! For the boy who doesn't need a whole lot of flare to his shoe, this does the job. The easy fit for medium - wide widths and the rubber toe guard makes the shoe last through wear and tear.

Gabor Boots for Every Calf Size!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Katie and I’m one of the sales associates at Sole Food. I have worked here for the past 3 years and have seen a lot of boot styles come and go. One thing that I have noticed is that women come in all sizes and shapes, and that includes our calves. In the years past if you came into our store and had a slightly larger calf you would have been frustrated with the boot selection. Trying to fit your calf into a pair of boots and not being able to zip it all the way up would be a huge disappointment. You’d ask yourself, why don’t these shoe companies make boots that will fit normal women?

Luckily this year we just got in these fabulous new boots from a company called Gabor. If you have had trouble zipping up boots, Gabor is going to be one of your favorite companies to come out of Germany. They make boots that are still ultra cute and chic but they have an adjustable calf width. We received three styles, two flat boots and one heel. The flat boots have a narrow calf width or a medium calf width, and the heel comes in a wide calf width. All three of these styles are adjustable for ANY calf size. I tried all three of them on myself (I have average sized calves) and could fit in the narrow, medium, or wide as long as I adjusted the buckles. If you have not had a chance to come down and check out our new fall boots you should come by!

Thanks for celebrating all things See Kai Run!

New Fall Collection of See Kai Run Shoes!

Hello!!

Hi fellow shoe lovers!
I'm Annie, the store manager and buyer for Sole Food. I have been with Sole Food since the VERY beginning; 6 years ago this July! Its been amazing, having the opportunity to create a look for Sole Food that makes us fun, fashionable and comfortable.

This week, I've started looking at new collections for spring 2010. At the end of the month, I will be heading to Las Vegas for the World Shoes and Accessories Show. Its always a blast to see what new trends are out there!
I will be sending updates during the show and keeping you in tune for which lines are walking tall and which ones fell flat. Feel free to send me requests for which brands you want to see in our store or if there are certain styles that you want to see back again...gladiators, platforms, etc...

Stay tuned for more updates on our fall styles that are now arriving!
Enjoy the weekend.

Save at Sidewalk Sale!!

We just marked all of our Sidewalk Sale merchandise down to 70% off! Come shop Saturday and Sunday and save big on great styles for men, women and children. See you soon!

30% Off Mens Shoes!

That's right, 30% off our entire selection of mens shoes at Sole Food. Great Spring/Summer styles from Chaco, Keen and Teva. Casual sneakers from Gola, Vans, Camper and Puma...even our mens Frye Boots are on sale! Hurry in...it won't last long.

Smartwool Promotion!

Buy 3 pairs of Smartwool Socks and get the 4th FREE on our entire stock in store! We still have great spring styles for men, women and children!

Purse Sale

All purses are 20% off this weekend May29th – May 31st. Plus...We just marked several Men and Women's shoes down 20% including this sassy One of 2 heel.

Gladiator Sandals

Just in! Chic new sandals fashioned by Faryl Robin, Pour la Victoire, Report, and many others. Sole Food has the perfect gladiators to complement your summer style, price, and comfort.

Children's Summer Vans

Pink, yellow, green, blue -

Sole Food has the right color for you! Stop by to have your kids try on these new fun-colored vans today.

The annual Shop To Make a Difference event is going on THIS WEEKEND at the U Village - May 15th -17th. Purchase a Cure Card at Sole Food to receive 20% off all non-sale shoes, handbags, and accessories. All proceeds from the Cure Cards will be donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Hey guys! Sole Food has the right sandal for all your spring and summer adventures.

Our Men’s waterproof Chacos as well as our Keen Newport sandal will be great for all your outdoor escapades.

When out with the guys or your lady, dress up your jeans for an evening out on the town with the Frye Ludlow sandal or the black Camper Cesta Thong. Stop by to find the perfect sandal today!

New El Naturalista Styles

New styles of El Naturalista shoes have just arrived. Embracing an eco-friendly philosophy, El Naturalista strives to provide a comfortable shoe with a modern, but traditional style by manufacturing shoes with recycled rubber soles, non-toxic materials and natural dyes, as well as utilizing a “frog-shock” breathable insole optimizing comfort and reducing the impact of the heel. Stop by Sole Food to try on these sandals to help support not only the environment but your foot as well!

The New Turquoise Frye Jacey Sandal

Spring has officially arrived! What better way to celebrate the sunshine then to rotate your beloved Frye Campus boot with the new turquoise Frye Jacey T-strap sandal. What we love about these fun-colored gladiators is that they’re easily paired with a floral spring dress or with dark skinny jeans. These versatile sandals are the perfect addition to anyone’s spring and summer wardrobe.

New TANO purses!

We just received 7 NEW styles! Bright and cheery and ready for Spring.

Morgan and Milo

We brought them back because you asked for them. Morgan and Milo spring styles for boys and girls are here! Hurry in for the best selection and sizes...they go quick!

We have flip flops! Get them early for the best selection, new Havaianas in red, black, brown, green and grey. As well as new styles of Teva for women and children. Even if summer in Seattle doesn't start for a few more months...

New Spring Styles!

We just received 27 new Spring styles of shoes yesterday! Great new shoes from Teva, Miz Mooz, Merrell, New Balance and many more!

Come in now for the best selection of sizes, and expect more new styles weekly at Sole Food!