These Boots Were Made For Wearing

by Liz Lazar, special to City Arts

The walls of Sole Food are crowded with shoes for women, men and children. There are more boots lining the walls than ever before, yet owner Karla Easton is having trouble keeping her most popular trends in stock. “It’s all about boots right now,” says Easton.  “Grey boots are everywhere,” says Easton, as she pulls down more than ten different boots in various shades of grey from a display in her small store, located at University Village. “Grey is becoming the new neutral wardrobe staple.”

Apepazza Cagliari’s flat-heeled over-the-knee boot is one of Sole Food’s top sellers, and western boots of every variety are flying off shelves.  Easton says her customers are having fun with western-style boots this year, and experimenting with vibrant colors. 

“Women are looking for interesting details, such as buttons, hardware and ankle straps,” says Easton while picking up one of her personal favorites, Fluevog’s black Giulia bootie.  “I love this shoe because of the button-detailing and Fluevog’s high-quality of craftsmanship.”

Another popular trend this season is giving.  Sole Food and several other local retailers have partnered as the Seattle offshoot of Soles4Souls, a national charity organization that collects gently worn footwear and/or donations to help people in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty.

Based in Nashville, the charity distributes shoes free-of-charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes. The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. 

On Saturday December 12, as an added incentive to support our shoe drive, all participating locations will provide a 20 percent discount off a new pair of shoes upon donation.

People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization’s websites at www.giveshoes.org, and www.soleofseattle.com.