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I am a college student, if you use the box below I earn money to spend on Amazon to buy books. 10/11/2007
It's been far too long. Let's talk about shoes!
I offer no good explanation for my absence only to say that I'm going to try and come here rather than myspace. With that, let's discuss my shoes.
I don't know why it started, but several months ago I decided I needed new cowboy boots. This meant stopping at western wear shops whenever I could. I had bad luck, and the only "discount" western wear shops had very slim discounts on the good stuff and the boots with deep discounts were mostly crap with nary an organic element in its makeup.
Just a scant few months ago I was on my way up to Knoxville to watch a derby bout. I stopped at a couple of places, mostly crappy pleather boots that would fall apart at the first step. I made note of a few billboards on the way up as I needed to get to my destination. On my way back I decided to stop at a few places. The first had rows and rows of Clarks, but not being a fan I decided to move on. Moving on I discovered French's Shoes in Crossville.
French's is wonderful. You walk in and see a normal, respectable shoe/western store with extremely attentive employees. This can be off-putting but you simply tell them you're just looking and they'll give you room (you may have to do this more than once, as there are many employees and they're all very attentive). You may peruse the regular priced shoes but the prices aren't exactly wonderful, so you wonder why you stopped in the first place, then you see the sign indicating that there are more shoes this a way--it may be upstairs, it may be tucked off to the side. You walk in and see racks and racks of boots and shoes. You look at the prices and the quality of the shoes and think you're in a footwear speakeasy, but this is delightfully legal. An hour later and you're broke but well shod.
French's Shoes is nothing unique, I'm sure there's a nice locally owned rack shoe store near you wher ethe prices are written on the soles in china marker. We have another local place called Marti and Liz that tends to be a little more upscale and little less work- and cowboy-boot oriented. I mean, TJ Marshalls for Less has good shoes, but not like these stores. These are the GOOD shoes. Sometimes they're a little slightly worn or have some other imperfection but they're GOOD. Beyond the valley of 9 West.
My first experience was weird. I saw a sign that said it was a western wear and boot outlet, so I go and find sandals and oxfords. Just all right, but nothing exciting. I mean, good shoes, but I wanted boots, not Clarks. Some how, whether it was a sign in the shop or my eagle eyes (not likely), I learned that the western store was catty-cornered to where I was. Heaven! I found a nice pair of Tony Lamas for a good price.
I knew there were other French's Shoes but wasn't terribly sure where they were. WEll, this past weekend I was on ny way to Chattanooga to visit the grandparents and saw a sign. There was a French's in Murfreesboro right there on the way! I was running late so I knew that it would have to wait, and all I could hope was that it would be open when I was on my way home.
This one also had the rack room though it was hardly as impressive as the one in Crossville but they were giving a $15 discount with the purchase of three pairs. I saw some steel toed Docs that I had to pass by but oh, they were only $69.99. It was difficult. There were Ugg boots which are ugly as sin and NOT MEANT FOR WEAR OUTSIDE OF WINTER but which look really warm. Anyway, now I'm going to share. Forgive the pictures, I don't care for the camera on my new phone. Click on the pic for a larger version.
These are the black shoes I got for work. These wingtips were a little pricy at 39.99 before discount but still cute, so I had to pick them up. I looked online and found them, they typically run $130 on zappos.com. I wore them to work today, very comfy!
You may think these are a little too Little House for me but I like them. They're suede, they're brownish, and the price couldn't be beat. Plus that shoe soul patch is removable.
Ah. Laredo boots! the picture does NOT do them justice. they're colorful, cute, and fun.
Let me know if you have a place like this locally. I'm always interested. They do fly below the radar.
I don't know why it started, but several months ago I decided I needed new cowboy boots. This meant stopping at western wear shops whenever I could. I had bad luck, and the only "discount" western wear shops had very slim discounts on the good stuff and the boots with deep discounts were mostly crap with nary an organic element in its makeup.
Just a scant few months ago I was on my way up to Knoxville to watch a derby bout. I stopped at a couple of places, mostly crappy pleather boots that would fall apart at the first step. I made note of a few billboards on the way up as I needed to get to my destination. On my way back I decided to stop at a few places. The first had rows and rows of Clarks, but not being a fan I decided to move on. Moving on I discovered French's Shoes in Crossville.
French's is wonderful. You walk in and see a normal, respectable shoe/western store with extremely attentive employees. This can be off-putting but you simply tell them you're just looking and they'll give you room (you may have to do this more than once, as there are many employees and they're all very attentive). You may peruse the regular priced shoes but the prices aren't exactly wonderful, so you wonder why you stopped in the first place, then you see the sign indicating that there are more shoes this a way--it may be upstairs, it may be tucked off to the side. You walk in and see racks and racks of boots and shoes. You look at the prices and the quality of the shoes and think you're in a footwear speakeasy, but this is delightfully legal. An hour later and you're broke but well shod.
French's Shoes is nothing unique, I'm sure there's a nice locally owned rack shoe store near you wher ethe prices are written on the soles in china marker. We have another local place called Marti and Liz that tends to be a little more upscale and little less work- and cowboy-boot oriented. I mean, TJ Marshalls for Less has good shoes, but not like these stores. These are the GOOD shoes. Sometimes they're a little slightly worn or have some other imperfection but they're GOOD. Beyond the valley of 9 West.
My first experience was weird. I saw a sign that said it was a western wear and boot outlet, so I go and find sandals and oxfords. Just all right, but nothing exciting. I mean, good shoes, but I wanted boots, not Clarks. Some how, whether it was a sign in the shop or my eagle eyes (not likely), I learned that the western store was catty-cornered to where I was. Heaven! I found a nice pair of Tony Lamas for a good price.
I knew there were other French's Shoes but wasn't terribly sure where they were. WEll, this past weekend I was on ny way to Chattanooga to visit the grandparents and saw a sign. There was a French's in Murfreesboro right there on the way! I was running late so I knew that it would have to wait, and all I could hope was that it would be open when I was on my way home.
This one also had the rack room though it was hardly as impressive as the one in Crossville but they were giving a $15 discount with the purchase of three pairs. I saw some steel toed Docs that I had to pass by but oh, they were only $69.99. It was difficult. There were Ugg boots which are ugly as sin and NOT MEANT FOR WEAR OUTSIDE OF WINTER but which look really warm. Anyway, now I'm going to share. Forgive the pictures, I don't care for the camera on my new phone. Click on the pic for a larger version.
These are the black shoes I got for work. These wingtips were a little pricy at 39.99 before discount but still cute, so I had to pick them up. I looked online and found them, they typically run $130 on zappos.com. I wore them to work today, very comfy!
You may think these are a little too Little House for me but I like them. They're suede, they're brownish, and the price couldn't be beat. Plus that shoe soul patch is removable.
Ah. Laredo boots! the picture does NOT do them justice. they're colorful, cute, and fun.
Let me know if you have a place like this locally. I'm always interested. They do fly below the radar.
Labels: shoes
posted by Leah at 10/11/2007 07:22:00 PM
3 Comments:
I almost deleted my Myspace account this week, for complex reasons other than blogging. I have a perfectly delightful-yet-neglected blog myself, but I don't want to soil it with any political ramblings or silly topics. Shoes and shopping, however, are rightgeous and holy topics indeed.
As you said, I typically find my shoes at the TJ Marshall's Burlington Coats for Less (tee hee!) In fact, I JUST got some flat black patent leather mary janes with a small silver buckle. I feel like i'm 5 but they are GAWGEOUS. Anyhoo, I haven't been inside any local shoe stores like you described, but I've heard stories about Phil's.
Phil's is on Pearl Street in the Gateway area - that's north of Downtown, north of springfield, and a bit to the west of Panama Park. It's maybe 7 minutes northeast of Stanton; so you see if you go, you must go in the daylight. From what i've been told, it's rows and rows and rows of fashion shoes in every color imaginable. It's what I envision the end of the rainbow to look like.
There are also certain sale events where you just grab your basket and throw every shoe in your size and favorite colors in, then sort it out later. Prices start at 4.99 and apparently it's not unusual for folks to come out with bags and bags of shoes.
I'm not going by myself though, because it sounds like you really have to be a pro at it. I would require backup. I kind of gathered it wouldn't be the kind of place with cowboy boots and Docs anyway.
D'ya know I've never, ever had a real pair of Docs? They've got some red ones i've been mooning over for years. And I didn't know you had a cowboy boots fetish, but I do now!
Whaddya know, they have a website.
http://www.philsshoes.com/
The prices don't look like $4.99 to me, though. I think i've been lied to. And check this baby out:
http://www.designerchurchhats.com/
Back away, #MK35 is mine! At $575, it's a steal!
I'll have to see this phil's. I'm a little leery of some discount shoe stores, as we briefly had two in the local awful mall. One was really cheap, poorly made foreign knockoffs of good shoes. You know, the kind with names like "NYKE" and "Abibas." I was kind of insulted. It kept me from going to the other one for a while, and it turned out that the other was one of those rack shops that I love (oddly enough it was in the former 9 West location), I got a pair of Unlisted mary janes for $15 or something ridiculous.
French's has a web site too but it's currently down. If you're that interested, do a google search for French's Shoes (this page comes up!) and look at the cached pages. Especially the history, which explains why they have such a phenomenal selection of discount shoes.
That hat is perfect for when we're old enough to start our own red hat society! When I worked at the rehab hospital we'd have lots of sunday visitors in amazing hats. No idea they were so pricy, though!
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