Shoe Me the Way

Newly opened À Pied (2037 W. Roscoe St.; 773-281-2210), which means “on foot” or “by foot” in French, fills a sorely empty niche in Roscoe Village. Owner Trudy Robinson Foley, who also owns the maternity store Kickin’ (2142 W. Roscoe St.; 773-281-6577) down the street, is building her own little empire in the neighborhood. Styled after European boutiques, the space resembles a parlor with Persian rugs and a clever decorative fireplace adorned with a mirror for looking at your feet in the store’s comfortable, stylish kicks. “Living in a city, you’re going to be on foot all day, so you need to be able to love your shoes at the beginning of the day and still feel good in them at the end of the day,” she says. To that end, look for brands such as Taryn by Taryn Rose, the more affordable line from the footwear designer that integrates orthopedics into fashion shoes; we liked cute electric blue Italian leather heels ($245) that have Taryn Rose’s trademark cushioning and arch support. Also look for the hard-to-find Spanish line Hispanitas, here in a pair of yellow leather round-toed heels ($179) and sporty Mary Jane slings ($164). We also liked the bronze metallic kitten-heel from La Canadienne ($229) and the black patent espadrilles with a cork wedge from Born Crown ($110). Although 80 percent of the store’s options are dressy, comfort shoes from Merrell and Patagonia ($84 for flip flops) round out the selection. Prices for summer styles range $52 to $250, mainly in sizes 6 through 10.
 

Top Sales This Week

The Chicago Antique Market opens for the season this weekend and returns with hugely expanded offerings. Now the overarching festival is called the Randolph Street Market Festival (1350 W. Randolph St.; 312-666-1200), and includes on-site dining, a wine bar, and live music. The Chicago Antique Market, a European style market, features more than 150 antique dealers in furniture, housewares, jewelry, and collectibles; the Indie Designer Fashion Market, features local designers. Both return and are joined by a global bazaar, a fresh flower market, a vinyl swap meet, a fancy food market, classic cars and vintage Schwinn bicycles for sale, and a Do-It-Yourself sale, where non-professionals can rent a table to sell family heirlooms. The sale runs May 24th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. outdoors, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. indoors; and May 25th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (No early bird shopping this year.) A $10 admission is good all weekend. Free trolley transportation is available from Water Tower Place; check chicagoantiquemarket.com for the schedule.

The Best of the Rest

  • Sports apparel company Under Armour (Fox Valley Mall, Aurora; 630-375-1902) has opened a retail store in Aurora. The 6,000-square-foot store is designed to look like a sports stadium, and carries clothing, footwear, and accessories.
  • Mark Shale (900 N. Michigan Ave., 312-440-0720; Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-571-9440; Northbrook Court, Northbrook, 847-272-3860) kicks off its women’s sale on May 22nd, with merchandise marked up to 40 percent off.
  • Oak Park boutique Fly Bird (719 Lake St., Oak Park; 708-383-3330) sponsors the Constructor Craft Fair on May 25th from noon to 8 p.m. at FitzGerald’s (6615 N. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn). Shop 30 Chicago-area crafters, while enjoying DJs, food, and drinks. The first 50 attendees receive a goody bag; free admission.
  • Malabar (1880 N. Damen Ave.; 773-321-6685) hosts a trunk show with the local jeweler Sarah Radford’s Chic Gems on May 24th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Bucktown boutique Veruca Salt (1937 N. Damen Ave.; 773-276-3888) has launched a Web site. Shop online at shopverucasalt.com.
  • Isabella Fine Lingerie (840 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-281-2352), home of the bra fitting “Boobologist,” has moved from its Webster Street location and is now open on Armitage Avenue.
  • Take 10 to 25 percent off the entire collection of sheets, shams, coverlets, duvets, and down at Bedside Manor Ltd. (2056 N. Halsted St., 773-404-2020; 929 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, 847-441-0969; 38 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, 630-655-0497; 192 E. Westminster, Lake Forest, 888-295-8371) throughout May.
  • Phaiz (673 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 312-226-9070) holds its latest installation, Natural Deviations by Chicago artist Rosemary Lee, featuring one-of-a-kind T-shirts by Hannah Claire Somerville, exclusively designed for Phaiz. The show runs through June 15th.
  • Local jeweler K. Amato (1229 W. Diversey Ave.; 312-882-1366, k-amato.com) offers private jewelry parties, during which participants can create their own necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Standard pieces range $30 to $100.
  • Grace (1917 N. Damen Ave.; 773-384-7223) offers 40 percent off shoes from Cate Adair, Patrick Cox, Alexis Hudson, and metallic pouches from Anya Hindmarch from May 20th through 27th.