08/28/07
Encore, Encore
Sneakerphiles, you have a new mecca. The owners of West Loop lifestyle-and-footwear shop Self Conscious have opened Encore (3941 N. Sheridan Rd.; 773-477-4007), which co-owner LaVelle “V-Dot” Sykes says is more sneaker driven than the other store. Sykes, who has designed shoes for Nike for 13 years, says the store cultivates exclusivity with its stock of hard-to-find sneakers. “Almost everything in the store is one of a limited run,’” he says. “If you miss it, you miss it.” For example, his stock of the Adidas Consortium consists of one pair per size (8 through 13) of only 100 pairs made, and Encore is one of five stores nationwide to carry them. You’ll also find the limited-edition Nike Air Force...
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08/21/07
Kiddie Kicks
Seems kids aren’t excluded from the recent explosion of shoe stores in the city. Sole Babies (2033 W. Division St.; 773-342-7653) in Wicker Park carries cute and orthopedically correct shoes for kids from first walkers to youth size 5 (which fits an 8 to 10 year old). Baraka and Teresa Nevels, the husband-and-wife team who owns the store, saw a need for quality children’s shoes sold outside department stores. The mostly European brands provide proper orthopedic support for children; the Nevels says that a good portion of their sales is shoes for babies who have just learned to walk, such as Pediped shoes, which are recommended for infant feet ($31.95), or Richter, with its adorable baby Mary Janes ($62.95). The shop is also the...
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08/14/07
Exceptional Craftsmanship
Rejoice, fans of the popular Renegade Craft Fair. The fair, which happens next month on September 15th and 16th along Division Street, in conjunction with the Do Division Street Fest, has spawned a permanent extension-a new store called Renegade Handmade (1924 W. Division St.; 773-227-2707) that carries high-style, handmade items from 60 designers, with no macaroni art or tea cozies in sight. Co-owners Sue Blatt and Kathleen Habbley, who started the fest together in 2003, saw the need to create a year-round space for the D.I.Y. crafts. "There's nothing else like it in the city," Blatt says. The main draw here is gift-appropriate items that may not be necessities, but are really fun. (For...
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08/07/07
Saving Grace
Bolstering the recent trend of independent shoe retailers in the city, Grace (1917 N. Damen Ave.; 773-384-7223) in Bucktown opens on August 10th. The beautiful new minimalist space will carry 15 shoe brands and handbag lines, from both established and emerging (mainly European) labels. Owner Kristi Ryan, who recently shuttered her own recruiting firm to open the boutique, says her strategy is to stock many styles of little known, high quality brands that are otherwise hard to find. "We have a lot of shoes that can be worn in several different places in your life-with jeans or a dress, to a wedding, or out with the girls," Ryan says. We liked the cute original wellie boots from Hunter ($98), in nine colors including lime green,...
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