Nancy H.
Yelp
If one is into shoes, or clever designs, or masterful leather workmanship, then he or she definitely needs to check out this John Fluevog store!
If you're not familiar with the brand, check out their website. This is not your typical shoe. The designs, the colors and the variety of footwear is incomparable. Many shoes and boots are quirky, with unique colors and/or heels and/or other details (like grommets, zippers, etc., worked into the designs in unusual ways). But rest assured, not all the models are show-stoppingly unique. Some are a bit more mainstream in appearance, like saddle shoes. So don't be afraid to come in here! The brand is known for its creative and quirkier shoe models, but there are more mainstream models to be found. But these too are made incredibly well and, in my experience, like Doc Martens footwear, they will last nearly forever.
I've been to Fluevog stores in Montreal (both of them there), and in San Francisco and in Seattle. They've all been lovely stores. This Vancouver store may be my favorite, though. In the heart of Gastown, this store is in a glass-ceilinged courtyard that was made into a store, so the ceiling is super high, and the walls are the exposed bricks from wall exteriors of adjacent buildings. The whole store is deep and wide and feels very open and spacious inside.
There's an island displaying mens' footwear and another for women. Also, there are some cool satchels and purses and messenger bags. And yes, the prices are high, but sometimes - usually - you get what you pay for, right? Anyhow, when I was visiting this store, they had a sale going on and the prices were pretty decent (i.e., on a par with well-made mainstream footwear brands). If you can snatch a pair of Fluevog shoes or boots on sale that you love, that's quite a major coup, as they're going to last for years!