Independent Vancouver shoe stores kick back at challenging retail economy to keep marching on

While the internet has presented a curveball for independent shoe stores in recent decades, Dirks says it has also presented an opportunity.

“In 1990, the relationship was primarily happening inside the store. Today, a client might discover us through Instagram, find something on our website, come into a store to try it on, talk to one of our people, and then continue the relationship with us online,” Dirks says. “The boundaries between physical and digital retail have essentially disappeared.”

Dirks says that, over the last 30-plus years in business, the importance of independent shoe stores hasn’t lessened. In fact, she says, it has only grown.

“There are endless places to buy shoes now. You can find almost anything online, compare prices instantly, and have a pair delivered to your door the next day. So an independent store can’t simply exist to provide access to product,” Dirks says.

Increasingly, she notes, independent retailers are a place where “culture and commerce intersect,” where shoppers can support emerging designers, smaller brands, and local entrepreneurs while also connecting with other like-minded consumers.

“After more than three decades in business, I don’t think our job is to compete with the internet on its terms,” Dirks says. “It’s to offer something the internet can’t easily replicate: a strong point of view, human connection, unexpected discovery and a place that feels like it belongs to its community.”

Community has been a major element of success for longtime Vancouver footwear designer John Fluevog. Connecting largely via the so-called ‘Flummunity’ group on Facebook, the international community of Fluevog fans regularly shares buy and sell threads, features new designs, offers leads on secondhand pairs spotted in stores, and generally shares appreciation for all things Fluevog.

That fanbase has allowed Fluevog Shoes to grow from a single store opened in Gastown in 1970 to include more than a dozen stores across Canada and the U.S.

“Stepping into a Fluevog store is like entering a magical space,” Fluevog says of the bricks-and-mortar retail experience. “It is a refreshing departure from the everyday, filled with unique shapes, vibrant colours, and individuality …

“A visit to our shop allows you to escape the craziness of the outside world and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.”

Fluevog says the challenge of creating and building such connections with customers amid a crowded footwear category and seemingly short customer attention span is one of the most important elements of the business today.

“The fun challenge for a 56-year-old footwear fashion brand is remaining impactful in today’s culture and current environment; it certainly keeps us on our toes,” he says. “We have personal connections and genuine community in an increasingly impersonal world.”

While some local footwear brands or stores struggle and even shutter, Dirks says the path forward may not be easy — but it will be worthwhile.

“There will be challenges, including rising costs, intense competition and changing expectations,” Dirks says. “But stores that invest in their people, embrace technology, stay adaptable and remain true to their identity can continue to thrive.”

Aharris@postmedia.com