Better and than ever, we’ve put together a huge selection for our sale this season. Starting Monday, Dec. 19th, join Kunitz Shoes as we celebrate the end of our fall/winter season with great price reductions on footwear from all the best brands.

Save 20-50% off a great selection in men’s, women’s and children’s footwear. Some great finds include:

• 30% off a huge selection of kids shoes and boots
• A store wide sale on Men’s dress shoes that includes up to 50% reductions on Ecco, Clarks and Josef Seibel
• Women’s dress boots from Ecco and Clarks at up to half price
• A great inventory of Women’s and Men’s performance winter footwear from Merrell at fantastic prices
• If you’ve gotten this far into the bullet list, you’re probably better off just coming in to check it out for yourself
• If you’re still reading this bullet list: seriously, you just need to come into the stores

Click here to download a printable version of the Winter Sale Ad.

The Soles for Souls campaign has been off to a great start. We’ve collected hundreds of pairs of shoes at both stores, and as we get closer to Christmas we’ve seen more and more folks come by to drop off their gently used shoes and boots for donation. We love seeing what types of shoes come in! Over the years we have seen everything from stilettoes to Irish dance shoes, from steel-toe rig boots to Bond street wingtips. This year has been no exception so we thought we might share a few of our more interesting donations!
These boots are the real deal. They were handmade in Italy, probably sometime in the mid-seventies. They are full grain 2.5mm leather uppers, and lined in calfskin. Seriously, they don’t make them like this anymore. These boots were designed with mountains in mind, and it looks as if they’ve seen a few- but with life enough in them for many more! It’s fun to imagine an old-timey mountaineer in the Italian Dolomites, (with a coil of hemp rope and a smoking pipe) lacing up these boots in the pre-dawn alpenglow getting ready for an adventure. It’s even more fun to imagine where these boots will end up…

I’ve never seen anything like these wedges. They sport a 3” clear acrylic heel, and soft jet black textile uppers. I’m assuming these would have been all the rage somewhere around 1992, but it’s hard to say- unique looks like this pop up every now and again; the toe shape is pretty close to today’s trend. These would pair nicely with a loose-knit tunic and hot pink leggings. Or perhaps they are better suited to a unicorn riding warrior princess in rainbow land.

The tiny oxfords featured above are pretty special. They were designed and manufactured by Savage Shoes right here in Canada, probably in the late seventies. Aside from being a classic men’s style that you could wear with anything (assuming you are around 3 years old), they share a common history with Kunitz Shoes. Dwane Kunitz, owner and founder of Kunitz Shoes, worked for Savage Shoes at the same time these shoes were produced; it is probable that he had a hand somewhere in the supply and distribution chain that brought these shoes to Edmonton. I guess it’s true what they say: what goes around comes around.

For more information about how you can help with Soles for Souls see here.

  An often-overlooked item of donation, footwear is an essential part of day-to-day life. Without appropriate footwear, it becomes difficult for anybody to function. Weather it’s sneakers for commuting, boots for the January freeze, or dress shoes for somebody getting back in the work force the Salvation Army needs to be properly equipped with footwear to help those who might otherwise go without.

 “The Salvation Army has seen a need for the shoes from Kunitz with homeless people, as well as the working poor, who often find that shoes are a luxury they can’t afford. Thanks to Kunitz shoes, we have been able to help many families get good quality shoes, especially as we get into the winter weather.”
 -Karen Diaper, Assistant Public Relations Director, The Salvation Army 

3 years ago Kunitz Shoes began an initiative, called “Soles for Souls” that we hoped would help keep the Salvation Army in better supply of gently used footwear. After thousands of pairs of shoes have been donated and re-furbished, it is clear that the need has never become stronger than it is today.

 “A gentleman recently came to The Salvation Army and thanks to donations from Kunitz Shoes, we were able to give him some work boots. These boots were the pivotal step in enabling this man to get a job, and help him on the road to self-sufficiency.”
-Karen Diaper, Assistant Public Relations Director, The Salvation Army 

 For this years’ Soles for Souls campaign, we wanted to give a bit of focus to the type of footwear that we would like to see brought in. After consulting with the Salvation Army, it would seem that one of the single largest demands they have been getting is for work boots. With the thousands of jobs in the primary industry of Alberta, as well as a growing economy and shrinking unemployment there is a great need for appropriate work boots. Approved footwear can often be the difference of gaining (or keeping) a job for somebody who might otherwise not have the opportunity. For this reason, Kunitz Shoes has teamed up with Blundstone to help bring in some work boots. For every 4 pairs of work boots that get donated at either Kunitz Shoes location, Blundstone and Kunitz Shoes will be donating a brand new pair of steel-toed CSA approved work boots to the Salvation Army.

As always, Kunitz Shoes will also be offering $20 off the purchase of a new pair of shoes with the donation of any pair of serviceable footwear (men’s, Women’s and especially children).

Offer extended to Jan. 15th, 2012. 1 (one) $20 off coupon per person/donation(s), redeemable at either Kunitz Shoes location with the purchase of regular priced footwear.

 Carmen and I spent time shopping in San Sebastien, Biarritz, and Vittoria. Narrow streets (with room for pedestrians only!), make up the hearts of the cities. Old buildings house secret finds, with walk in access. Best of all is the wonderful living spaces above the street level retail- a novel concept, or ancient tradition? Either way something that is missing in our own city.

A lot of variety in the store interiors- from the ultra modern to age old classic designs, store interiors speak more about the product concept as opposed to merchandise placement. We had the impression that with a little paint and a few new fixtures, many of these stores could be changed up overnight.

 Storefronts varied widely. From the opulent to the understated, store frontages played a large role in describing a market. Shops were often housed in repurposed spaces, and the frontage would integrate pre-existing architectural details (such as stone steps, or century old moldings). There were many businesses set up outside, in front of their shops, showing products right on the street instead of in the windows. A great way to interact without going into a space!

 Best of all was the fact that on a shopping trip you also get to see all the nooks and crannies of the old city. A narrow lane would explode under an archway into a huge plaza; a little alcove would be set with a few tables and chairs serving chilled wine to the foot weary shopper.

I probably spent more money in a few days shopping than I would have in a week of travelling, but it was worth it. I have the double advantage of finding some interesting and unique clothes, while at the same time discovering and interacting with a city at an everyday level. Carmen and I met tons of people, shop owners and shoppers alike as we covered mile after mile of labyrinthine streets. I might even consider doing it again…

Everett Kunitz

photos: Everett Kunitz and Carmen Norris