Kerrisdale Bootery

At 71 years old, Kerrisdale Bootery is one of the neighbourhood’s oldest businesses. It has stood the test of time and endured some challenges, but it has marched on with clever management decisions and the support of loyal customers.

The 2008 market crash took its toll on the shop for a few years. The biggest threat currently not only to Kerrisdale Bootery but also to businesses worldwide is the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring of 2020 when many businesses temporarily closed, owner John Lewis continued working on his own to help his shop survive.

He says, “It has been rough, but we are thankful for the government programs and our landlord Lorne Goldman who stepped up to keep us alive.” Before becoming Kerrisdale Bootery’s manager and then owner, John worked as a manager of shoe stores in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and the Lower Mainland.

John Lewis, Owner

John says, “The store was started by a Mr. Ferris and a Mr. Fairhurst in partnership I believe, and at some point, they sold it to Pete Holmes. In 1965, Jim and Kay Peart bought the store and made the store a success. Their son Murray took over in 1986 and owned it until 1992 when they sold out of the family to Laurene Clark.”

After six years as the store’s manager, John became the sole owner and has now been with Kerrisdale Bootery for 20 years.

This is the shop’s original location; John believes it was previously a printing shop. He comments, “Amusingly, there is some writing on a concrete wall in the stockroom that says ‘Kilroy was here August 10, 1942.”

It is not uncommon to see three generations of customers shopping together.

He says, “It’s a real treat to see customers who I’ve served since they were young bring in their own children as well as former part-time employees who come back with their kids to get fitted. We want to encourage people to not forget about the in-store shopping experience as opposed to online shopping or all the brickand-mortar stores will disappear.”

“When I took over there was a strong emphasis on women’s matronly dressy footwear in various widths which were not selling well, so I improved our selection with more modern styles and fewer widths. Over time children’s footwear sales became more important and in the last 10 years has been a full 50 per cent of our sales. I have also created a strong slipper business, which currently is a plus as more people are working from home. Also, under my ownership, I recognized the need for a good selection of rain boots. Approximately 20 years ago The Weather Channel did a segment in my store on our rain boot collection,” he says. John’s role includes assisting customers, placing orders for following seasons, merchandising the store, and he mentions using humour to get through each day.

Running an independent business involves dedication, creativity, and being able to respond to the ebbs and flow of the economy and changes including online purchasing as well as competition from large retailers.

“I always ask staff to treat people as you would a friend, and try to make their experience a fun one.” John Lewis

John confesses, “The store has experienced some challenging times but I have managed to find a way to keep it afloat. I think my father (a former business tax auditor for the government of Newfoundland and Labrador) gave me the best and simplest advice and that is to treat people well and they will come back.”

The shop’s children’s selection (which includes private school footwear) rivals any other store in Vancouver and keeps families coming back as purchasing shoes online can be a fitting challenge.

John is grateful for his assistant Maureen, who is a former Panda shoe store employee. She has been with Kerrisdale Bootery for seven years. John believes when it comes to fitting kids’ shoes he and Maureen are Vancouver’s most experienced and knowledgeable. The shop’s bookkeeper Colleen has been with the store for over 30 years. John is the third owner she has worked for and he applauds Colleen’s dedication and attention to detail that has helped keep Kerrisdale Bootery’s back office in order. He is also appreciative of his part-time team that regularly get compliments on their excellent service.

He comments, “We carry footwear for the whole family, as I like to say, from one year old to 100 years old.”

Some of the brands carried include Bogs, Geox, Josef Seibel, Kamik, Skechers and Stride Rite, although the shop carries many brands and some change from year to year. Attention, bargain hunters! Be sure to check out the table outside where marked down merchandise from the prior season can be found.

“For the colder days ahead we will be getting a line of alpaca socks for kids and of course we have a great selection of slippers which can be a very comforting holiday gift,” John says.

One of the greatest rewards for John is developing relationships with customers and staff. It is pleasing to know that the products he picks are meeting people’s needs and making them happy. He would also like readers to know that Kerrisdale Bootery’s staff loves dogs and they are always welcome to come in!

Kerrisdale Bootery

2182 W. 41st Avenue

Vancouver, BC, V6M 1Z1

Telephone 604-261-6371

www.kerrisdalebootery.com