Gidigio's Production Line

Follow a boot's story from beginning to end in Gidigio's factory in Italy.  See the incredible process that hand-crafted shoes go through!

June's Employee of the Month: Anilyn!

Congratulations to Anilyn...she's our June Employee of the Month!

"Anilyn has shown excellent customer service consistently.  She is always bright and cheery, helping anyone and everyone with their needs.  Her work ethic is impeccable and always does her best.  Everybody likes working with her!"

Current Obsessions: New Balance Minimus Trail Shoe!

Hey Sole Foodies, it's Anilyn. I'm super excited to report that our store now carries the NEW New Balance Minimus Trail shoe for both men and women. It is the newest line of barefoot footwear from New Balance. The trail shoe features a rubber wrapped upper designed to reinforce the metatarsal, a stitched tongue to prevent debris from invading your twinkle toes, a wrapped toe to guard against rocks, and an outsole designed to allow the runner to feel the ground without compromising stability.

Now, not every runner is going to need this type of shoe. The NB Minimus is designed so that runners can strike the ground landing at midfoot.  It's best to introduce yourself to the sensation of wearing a shoe like this a little at a time. New Balance recommends that first time wearers do only 10% of their usual running/walking routine to help ease runners into the transition. 

My priorities are simple: I want to look and feel comfortable, at work and at play.  I have had these shoes for a little over three weeks now and I run in them constantly. I took it slow at first but now I'm racing at full sprint. I also love the coral color and it’s totally on trend right now! Come and test them out for yourself and see what all the hype is about.

Top: Men’s MT10OB in Orange

Bottom: Women’s WT10GR in Coral

Oh So Glittery! - Glittersweet Bags

Photo: Glittersweet Studio

Sole Food is so excited to welcome glittersweet to our boutique! Made with love in our hometown of Seattle, glittersweet is the creation of two moms who find sheer joy in all things glittery! They developed a great line of bags suitable for everyday use; they are pretty enough for a night out as well as practical for the grocery store and office.  

We have crossbody bags available in two sizes: the large tote and the medium tote.  There are also some über-cute accessory cases that are perfect for everyday essentials, like your makeup, snacks, or zombie survival kit (just kidding!).  

Here is a sample of what we have in-store:

Medium Tote with Huckleberry Applique - Shop Here

These bags are a great everyday size, perfect for your daily essentials and more.  The long cross body strap features a gripper pad so the strap doesn't fall off your shoulders...how neat is that! There's a side pocket for your phone, keys, etc. and the lining is a fun, printed pattern.  Other styles we carry:

Daisy Applique - Shop Here

Blossom Applique - Shop Here

This fully-zippered accessory case has a sleek liner that makes this bag easy to clean.  The fun designs available include Huckleberry, Wildflower, and Daisy.

Wildflower Accessory Bag - Shop Here

Huckleberry Accessory Bag - Shop Here

May Employee of the Month: Bri!

Sole Food is proud to announce May's employee of the month...Bri! She has been a Sole Food team member for just over a year and she has grown to be one of our most knowledgeable associates.  Bri is always looking out for her customers and giving them all the help they need, whether it is about children's fit or fashion tips.

Here is what some of her fellow coworkers had to say about Bri:

"Bri did an incredible job of working with a customer with a disability. She worked diligently and he left the store happy and with four pairs of Cydwoq shoes. He thanked her for her friendly attitude and great knowledge of Cydwoq."

"Bri is always good to work with. She is helpful and nice to customers as well as everybody she works with."

Congrats Bri!

TEVA & Lucky the penguin!

TEVA has always been ecologically conscious about water and how the world is affected by it.  Their adventurous heritage has been around for over 25 years with the mission "to play and to protect".  While constantly pushing themselves to design the greatest sport sandals, they also play a vital role in being enviromentally friendly.

We love TEVA because they go above and beyond footwear.  Check out the video above and learn about Lucky, a penguin at the Santa Barbara zoo that needed corrective footwear to save its life.  We gotta say, TEVA makes an awfully adorable shoe for penguins!

Michael Jolie

"If the shoe matters more than the label in it, Michael Jolie is your shoe. You understand how the right shoes make your outfit - and your day. Crafted by Italian artisans from the finest leathers, Michael Jolie shoes are built for a discerning, quality-conscious woman. It's not about what you need, it's what you can't live without. Our shoes are the product of our partnership with the finest Italian shoemakers and are brought to you by a select group of retailers who feel the way we do."

 

Avery Ballet - SHOP HERE

These beautiful ballets feature the softest leathers in both a textured finish and
an amazing robin egg blue color.  The simplicity of the design will take your breath away.

Avery Ballet - SHOP HERE

Callie Heel - SHOP HERE

Need a fresh lift for your wardrobe?  These wonderfully designed heels will amaze you.  Above is the Callie heel, made by the finest Italian craftsmen around. Below, the Carina is a slingback  peep toe featured in a beautiful sea foam green.

Carina Heel - SHOP HERE

Shop Success!

Thank You!

Sole Food had a great weekend with the Shop to make a Difference event.  Thanks to you we sold 55 Cure Cards...that's $1375 going to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center...wow! 

"Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is a world leader in research to understand, treat and prevent cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Founding members of the center are credited with pioneering bone-marrow transplantation as a successful treatment for leukemia and other blood diseases."

"Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was founded by Dr. William Hutchinson in honor of his brother, Fred, a former major league baseball player and manager, who died of lung cancer at age 45."

(From the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center website)

We heart Brett!

 Congratulations to Brett for being April's Employee of the Month!

Being a Sole Foodie for over 5 years, Brett is known for his friendly customer service,  upbeat attitude and, above all, his knowledge of footwear at Sole Food.  He actively searches new facts about fit, materials, styles and more so that he can give his customers all the facts they need to make the right decision.

 

Here's what his fellow employees had to say:

"Customers love Brett. He is very friendly and helpful to everybody. He has a lot of product knowledge and is willing to share it with customers and other co-workers. He is easy to work with and has a good attitude."

"Brett is always positive. He only has good things to say about other people.  He is fun to work with and easy to be around." 

Congratulations Brett! You deserve it!

Shop Sole Food!

Have you visited Sole Food's new website yet? Each week, you will find new styles online, fresh out of the box.  You can preview new arrivals from the comforts of your home or favorite coffee spot, make a wish list and get your new favorite shoes delivered to you fast!

We just added new style from Frye onto our website.  Pictured above is the Amelie, a beautiful, strappy sandal with studding and crisscross stitch detailing on top of a mini wedge heel.

Cydwoq amazes us again with their keen eye for style and wonderful leathers.  The Maya, seen above, features textured turquoise and brown leather cut with a scalloped pattern.

Stay Connected with Sole Food!
On our website you'll find different sections that will tell you all about the store.  Browse our Happenings calendar for upcoming promotions and events.  Tell your friends about our blog, where we frequently post all sorts of news about Sole Food and the shoe world.   Read about our excellent customer service policies, like our 45 day return policy on all online orders!

Soles4Souls: A Big Success!

We had a spectacular event this past weekend! Thanks to you we were able to collect over 80 pairs of shoes, and more are still coming in.  That is well over our initial goal of 50 pairs. Good job team!

[We have filled three large shipping boxes full of donated shoes. Whoo!]

All of these shoes will be shipped out for repair and processing to Soles4Souls main distribution center in Alabama.  From there your donated shoes will be shipped all over the world to help those in need.

Soles4Souls has a pretty big goal this year: to collect 11 million pairs in 2011.

 From the Soles4Souls website:
“We have distributed 12 million pairs of shoes in just over 6 years. That gives a little perspective on how audacious our goal of 11 million pairs of shoes in one year really is,” said Elsey. “But with earthquakes like Haiti and Chile, on top of the enormous needs elsewhere, we really believe that our partners are going to rise to the challenge,” he added.

Way to go Sole Foodies!  And remember, we take donations for Soles4Souls year round.  If you need to clean out your shoe closets, you can always bring your shoes to Sole Food! 

One Day Without Shoes

Toms Shoes' 4th annual "One Day Without Shoes" initiative, taking place today, encourages participants to go barefoot everywhere.  

From Audrey Goodson at Footwear Plus:

Last year over 250,000 people went without shoes at more than 1,600 events around the world, the company reports.  Mycoskie hopes this year's increased publicity will encourage a million people to chuck their footwear for the day.  In addition to the revamped message, the company is hosting a new walk in New York, lead by supermodel Anne-V, and also released a One Day Without Shoes mobile app for iPhone and Droid, which enables users to share pictures instantaneously, provides soundtracks for barefoot adventures and includes an array of Toms and One Day Without Shoes merchandise.  

"One Day Without Shoes is important for us to raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child's life," Mycoskie says.  "Millions of children walk barefoot for miles risking injury, infection and exposure to soil-transmitted diseases." 

Thank you to Footwear Plus and 9Threads for the news!

Sole Knowledge: FAQ's at Sole Food

Here at Sole Food, we are asked many different questions from all kinds of customers. Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions. We hope this helps!

1.       How is Sole Food distinctive from other shoe retailers?

Sole Food stands out from the rest of the shoe world in many ways. Sole Food is locally and privately owned, allowing us to offer personalized service to our customers. Our wide-ranged selection of shoes for men, women, and children makes it easy for everyone to find that perfect shoe.  We also carry many unique brands and styles. Cydwoq (handmade in California) and Gidigio (a small Italian company) are two brands we carry that are not commonly found in the Seattle area.

2.       What is Sole Food’s return policy?

Sole Food makes it easy for customers to try out our product risk free. We offer 30 days for a full refund on any purchase. After the 30 days we are still happy to issue store credit, which never expires. We simply that the shoes be brought back in brand new condition with the original box and sales receipt.  

3.       Did your store get bigger?

Yes, I promise you’re not going crazy! We recently expanded our store’s front room and store room. And you know what that means… more room for more shoes! 

4.       When will you be having a sale?

We currently have a small women’s’ sale section for 30% off select styles. Coming up April 7-11 is our Soles 4 Souls promotion. Receive 20% off one pair of regularly priced shoes when you donate a pair of gently worn shoes to help someone in need.  This year, your donation will help benefit victims of the recent earthquake in Japan.

Also, get ready! Sole Food will be participating in the Village annual sidewalk sale, scheduled for June 16-19. This sale will be big! You won’t want to miss it!

5.       Do you carry shoes for wide or narrow feet?

Yes. We carry multiple brands that work well for wide and narrow feet. Some brands that typically run wide are Keen, Merrell, and Jambu. Certain styles within Cydwoq and El Naturalista may also work well with wide feet. Miz Mooz shoes often have wide toe boxes.  Brands that tend to run more on the narrow side are Camper, Biviel, and Tsubo.  We will work with you to find that perfect fit!

6.       Can you special order a shoe in another size or color?

Maybe. If you would like a specific shoe in a size or color we do not have available, you are welcome to contact our buyer, Annie. She will be happy to contact the shoe company to see if a special order may be possible.  Special orders of styles and colors not carried in the store will be treated as a final sale.  Send your requests to annie@shopsolefood.com. Please include the name and style number of the shoe.

7.       What’s my European shoe size?

Here are the conversion tables for European sizing.  Please remember that sizing varies among different brands and styles.  These conversions should be used as a starting off point when sizing.

Thanks for reading!
-Jen

FNPlatform: the Shoe Show at Magic

Annie here, and I have just completed my buying for the Fall/Winter 2011 season.  I must say, it’s looking just as good if not better than 2010!

What’s nice about heading to a huge show like Platform is that I get to look for new styles that are fresh in my mind from the Fall 2010 season.  As one of only two buyers for Sole Food, Platform is a marathon!  We buy for women, men and children at this show and with the show being so huge, Karla, the owner, and I have to divide and conquer to make sure every style, brand, accessory is covered.  

  

With a LARGE cup of coffee in our hands and lots of candy and chocolate to munch on until dinner, Karla and I meet brand after brand, walking every aisle in the hunt for new styles and trends.  The best part of our trip is finding that magical brand or style that will fill a space in our customer's closet!   

When we find what we want, I take a seat at the table, sit my large, heavy bag down and spread out my travel-sized office (my camera, pen, calculator, white out, and paperclips).  Karla and I get to work deciding on our collection, choosing color swatches and scheduling out deliveries. 

Gidigio

Here is Karla working with Kevin and Giorgio at the Gidigio booth.  Gidigio has quickly become one of our favorite lines!  During our Fall 2010 season, I was shocked at how fast we sold out of sizes.  Gidigio's choice of colors and sense of fashion are amazing; you will see every type of boot imaginable from these guys.  They really know how to keep a shoe creative without being too over the top!

Biggest trends that I saw for women were:

•  Lace, Lace, Lace-Ups!  Tall lace knee-hi boots, ankle lace-up heels, flat oxfords…lace is everywhere next season…don’t worry the really tall boots from us will always have a side zip! (Pictured above is Indigo's Water Row bootie heel, which will be back next fall!)

• Grey anyone?  Grey heels, flats, boots…you name it. Remember the boot you loved in black this past season?  Well it’s probably getting made in a grey option next season! 

• Riding boots are not going anywhere!  There are a ton of riding boots from everyone now.  Miz Mooz has some great styles; Frye will have their amazing riding boots except now in COLOR!  I saw red, grey, distressed black or brown leathers (I could go on and on…just be ready for some Frye boots with a kick!) And remember Camper’s 1912 collection?  They are back with more colors too!

At the end of the show, we were exhausted.  We walked miles and miles viewing every style, and we are pleased with what we saw.  There is something for everyone from our selection.  We focused on fashion with comfort, specific closures, requested rubber bottoms if possible, and stick to heels that are realistic for our customers to wear all day. As always, we want fashion without having to sacrifice comfort.  We need to keep our feet healthy…for sandal season :)

Stay tuned for my top trends for children!  

- Annie