Be Prepared for Back To School!

Back To School is coming up right around the corner! We all know what that means...shorter days, more homework, and no more late nights.

As much as some dislike BTS, we know it comes every year, and we know it goes even better when you're prepared. That includes kids school supplies, clothes, and footwear.

Shopping for BTS footwear for kids can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Kids don't always know when something fits, they just look for the flashiest most fancy shoes on the shelf and say "I want these!" Even though these shoes are probably not supportive and probably twice the price you wanted to spend, you sometimes cave to make your shopping a little easier.

Well we want to make it really easy for you and the kids this fall, and make sure they get the footwear they need too! We do free fittings for all of our customers and make sure that the child's foot is put in the proper shoe for them.

When we're fitting for kids shoes there's a few things we recommend:

1) Shop later in the day: this ensures that the child's feet are their biggest and this is the size we want to make sure the shoes fit, so that when they're on their feet all day the shoes will fit.

2) Measure both feet while the child is standing: this is important to see where the feet measure while standing. If you measure while sitting, you are more likely to get an improper measurement.

3) Bring Socks: we know that kids wear sandals in the summer, but it's very important to try on shoes with socks as opposed to bare feet. Again, shoes will fit differently if worn bare foot, and we all know kids aren't going to run in gym class without socks!

We know that this time of year can be pricey for parents and sometimes saving costs on things like clothes and shoes can help a lot. We recommend NOT giving your child hand me down shoes. Kids feet are very delicate and the bones and tissue need to grow properly. If your child wears shoes from someone who has already moulded the shoes to the shape of their feet, your child could risk injury or long term discomfort because their foot won't be supported properly.

We want to help you and your kids this BTS season! Shop early while we have the best selection of size, styles, and widths! Let us help you prepare your kids for school next month!

Visit us on-line to check out styles before coming into our store at canadianfootwear.com!

What's Coming Up?

Many people think summer is basically over, but that's not the case! We've still got 3 solid weeks of summer left and we're going to do everything we can to take advantage of it!

First off, we've had a few inquiries lately asking if we carry sandals still. YES! In fact, we carry sandals all year round! Did you know during the winter months when you plan your vacation, you can pick up your sandals at our down town Sandal Shop? No more buying the clearance flip-flops shoved between shelves at Wal-Mart because we've got you covered for comfort and style ALL year round!

Some of you have probably heard of the Dirty Donkey Run, maybe you're even participating this summer. The event takes place this Saturday August 15th at Assiniboia Downs.

We were asked by the very well known Ace Burpee from 103.1 Virgin Radio if we could help his race day go smoothly by being his Shoe Guy on race day. Of course we said yes! If you spot Ace Burpee throughout your obstacle run check out his apparel and footwear provided by Canadian Footwear! We're super happy to support Ace in his journey to run the obstacle course as many times as he possibly can. Way to go Ace!

Finally, our Back To School Launch event is taking place this Saturday! This is going to be something you won't want to miss. What's better than free food, prizes, and a chance to win a pair of New Balance Kids shoes?! Nothing!

All three of our locations will be hosting so feel free to join us downtown, on St Mary's or on Regent! Our fall styles are starting to roll in so make sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for updates on when they hit the showroom floor!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy (almost) Birthday Canada!

It's Canada Day week, which this year for us happens to be smack dab in the middle of the week!

We just wanted to send out a friendly reminder that all of our store locations and FootHealth Centre will be closed this Wednesday. Regular hours will resume on Thursday.

So how are you going to celebrate Canada Day, and the better question being what are you going to wear? It's no surprise that people all over Winnipeg and Canada will be decked out in red and white in honour of our country's birthday. Are you ready with your red and white shoes? If not, we've got you covered! We've picked our top four shoes for Canada Day this year!


Birkenstock's

Easy, slide on, comfortable and stylish. These go with any outfit, and can dress anything up or down!

Artisan by Clark's

Going out for a fancy dinner? These wedges pair perfectly with those summer hi-lo or maxi dresses. The thick wedge heel provides comfort and stability, so you can wear these for hours!

Saucony

Hitting up the gym or going out for a run? These Saucony's have our country pride all over! They also have highly breathable mesh so your feet won't be crying from sweating so much. The interior lining wicks away moisture so your feet stay cool and dry throughout your run!

Naot

Need to wear orthotics but still want to wear sandals? Good news, you can! Our Naot line of sandals have removable insoles to allow you to put your custom orthotics in for long lasting comfort and pain free walking!

Check out the rest of our selection of red and white shoes in store! We're open at our Adelaide location until 6 PM tonight, and our St Vital and Regent locations until 9 PM. A reminder that we'll be closed tomorrow and re-open regular hours on Thursday! Have a Happy Canada Day!

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Construction

If you've lived in Winnipeg for a year or longer, you'll know that we experience more than four seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter....and the dreaded construction season. Construction used to only happen in the summer time, but it seems now that it happens in conjunction with all the four seasons listed prior to it. It can be a huge headache for drivers and pedestrians to see those orange pylons everywhere on the commute to work. Sometimes it can be an even bigger pain for those working in the construction zones.

Having comfortable and suitable footwear for anything you're doing whether it be running, walking, working in a restaurant or a construction zone is so important. Your feet are no good to you when they're sore or blistered which is why it's so important to have the right footwear.

Construction workers have to make sure they have the right footwear that is CSA certified. They're on their feet all day, so comfort is also a big factor. We have a variety of safety footwear in store that highlight the following features:

- removable insole
- wider/deeper toe box
- good traction
- lightweight
- good shock absorption
- anti fatigue
- CSA Certified

This week we'll be featuring our different styles for both men and women, and how they stand up against other brands. We want to remind you as well, that when you try on Keen Safety Shoes in our store until June 12th, you can enter to win some great prizes from Keen, Ticketmaster, and Tim Horton's! No time like right now to come in and check them out!

Our Doors Are Open...Come on In!

It might be hard to believe but we're almost through May already and June is right around the corner. Summer is (almost) here and after the weekend we just had, I think it's safe to say the nice weather and sunshine are here to stay!

One of the best things about summer in Winnipeg is there's so much to do and see! This weekend coming up we're part of an annual event in Downtown Winnipeg that showcases more than 80 of the city's finest sites, architecture, and history. Doors Open Winnipeg is a free event that takes place on May 30th and 31st. You are invited to come downtown to participate in tours, live music, raffles, and of course the fantastic food and beverage vendors.

There are a couple of ways Canadian Footwear is taking part in the event this year. There is a raffle that takes place over the two days where you can purchase tickets to win fantastic prizes. We have donated a pair of Merrell shoes (courtesy of Merrell) for you to win! If you are the winner of this prize, you can come into our store and pick out a pair worth up to $160!

If you're around the downtown area taking part in the free events, we're also giving out $20 coupons to use in our store! These can be used on a purchase of $100 or more on regular priced merchandise. Spot one of the reps from Doors Open handing them out over the weekend!

Finally, we've made up a special prize basket for our social media followers! If you check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram later this week you'll see a game that we're doing over the weekend and anyone can participate! All you have to do is come into our store to pick up a copy on Saturday or Sunday, finish it, and bring it back to our downtown store by Sunday May 31st at 5PM. If you successfully complete the game, you'll be entered to win our prize basket filled with some sweet goodies! We'll give you a hint....

But you'll have to come down to our store next weekend to figure out what it is! 

We hope to see you out and about this weekend! Be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates and promotions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Bust A Move

Happy Friday Winnipeg! We are so excited with all the stuff that's going on around here that we got two posts on the blog this week!

We wanted to take this time to highlight one of our staff member's. Mark who does our shoe repairs and modifications at our downtown location, was recently at a dance competition in Montreal, and we'll let him tell you all about it!

"Hello my name is Mark San Juan and my dancing name is “Daddy GoodFunk”. My style of dance is called “Locking”! Locking is one of the first street dances that dates back to the late 60’s created by Don “Campbellock” Campbell. It is still kind of unknown in Winnipeg. Myself and some of my crew members of GoodFunk (Joe Boy Rock, Majestic, Shaq Daddy, Lester, Vivik and AllyCat) are helping Locking and other older dances resurface in our city. Because Locking was rare to find in Winnipeg we had to travel around where Locking is still strong, places like Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Las Vegas, and Montreal!

Back in 2009 I won my first Locking battle dance competition called “One Touch” in Calgary. After that I got married and had a baby named Illya. Now in May 2015 I wanted to Battle again to see where I am at in Locking so I decided to enter a competition called “Bust-A-Move” in Montreal. With the help of Canadian Footwear giving me support with some of the funds it really made my trip an enjoyable experience that I will never forget. I was able to meet up with other Lockers who travelled from all over the world in one place to learn from each other.

Day 1: Friday May 1^{st -} I had made it past preliminary that was done off the main stage that moved me on to day 2. Day 2: Saturday May 2^nd - I faced my opponent in the top 16 of 25 other Lockers. Given the chance to touch and dance in front of hundreds of people on the main stage (also live streamed on-line) was something I have never experienced. Losing to Jeff D. in the top 16 just showed me that Winnipeg has to step up their game, travel as individuals, take experience back to Winnipeg and share your knowledge to help raise the level and let the world know that Winnipeg has great dancers! Let us Rep our City."

Way to go Mark, and keep up the good work! All of us at Canadian Footwear are very proud! You can check out a video of Mark dancing in the competition on YouTube as well as our Instagram! 

(Mark's also rocking the New Balance MT580HTT style shoes, which he says helps keep him dancing all night long)

Spring Is In The Air

Well it sure felt like Spring in Winnipeg last weekend. The snow is pretty much all gone now, people are (bravely) wearing shorts and sandals, and the sun is shining! We hope that this is a sign that Summer is just around the corner! (wishful thinking right?)

Anyway, we have to apologize because we had a bit of technical difficulties with our blog last week. We tried to get our post up and it said it posted but it never did! So here's hoping this one works this week and that you'll be blown away by everything in it!

What's New?

It's Spring! So that means our showroom is FULL of new shoes, styles, and colours! Everything from casual to dress and athletic, we've got TONS of new footwear! And we've still got lots coming in too! Our boot wall came down yesterday, which means that it's sandal season! Be sure to keep checking back as we feature new styles each week!

Here's some of the new ones we're pretty pumped about:

Uneek by Keen

Ok. These shoes look a little weird. I have to admit, I took a look at it, and thought it looked kind of like a glorified Croc. I read a little bit into these shoes and why they're so awesome and unique. Once I tried them on, I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough. These shoes may have a bit of a bizarre look to them, but they are so comfortable and lightweight. They're meant for the outdoors for things like walking and hiking. You can check this style out here, or come into our store to try them out! We have both men's and women's styles in this one.

 

Fresh Foam by New Balance

New Balance is going crazy over these shoes. I have never heard so many people talk about one running shoe before. The breathable upper mesh gives the shoe a nice light weight feeling, and allows your feet to breathe during your activity. The foam like midsole allows for cushioning and stability of the foot, and it looks pretty cool. Again, we've got men's and women's styles! Come into our store and check them out. Try them on, and see why everyone thinks they're so great!

And today (March 19th) is New Balance's launch of the Fresh Foam Zante shoes! This means stores across Canada and the US will be having launch parties to showcase how awesome this shoe is. You can follow our New Balance store in Calgary on Facebook and Instagram for live updates this evening from 7-9PM (or 8-10PM Central Time).

So why is now the best time to look for shoes? Well Spring is here, and you want to have a fresh new shoe collection. So why not take an hour (or two) and go through your current shoe selection and ask yourself:

1) have I worn these in the last year?
2) will I wear these in the next year?
3) is it time to throw these out?

Spring is always a good time to start fresh and new. So see if you can challenge yourself by getting rid of the shoes that you don't need! And if you have shoes to donate, we are always accepting donations of new/gently used footwear for Fit Feet on the Street!

Fashion on Ice

Hé Ho!

It's that time of year again! The annual Festival du Voyageur kicks off tomorrow and runs until February 22nd. If you're ever saying 'there's nothing to do in Winnipeg in the winter time' you definitely need to check this out.

There are many events that take place during the 10 day festival. We are really excited because once again we are involved in a big event. On Sunday February 15th we will be a part of the Fashion on Ice Show taking place in the afternoon. This fashion show features clothing and footwear that are all from local shops here in Winnipeg! It's a chance for local designers to also showcase their work. We are providing the models footwear for the fashion show!

Here are some of the styles you can expect to see in the show:

 

Men's Sorel Caribou (Google)

 

 

Ladies Summit Knit Bogs (Canadian Footwear)

 

 

 

Ladies Blondo Vaughan Fur Boot (Canadian Footwear)

 

 

Men's Rieker Algarve (Canadian Footwear)





 

To see more photos from last year, you can check them out here. We have many more styles being featured, so if you want to see them all you'll have to come out to the show! The fashion show will take place on Sunday at 3 PM where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. And the weather may not be the warmest, so be sure to bundle up in your Sorel, Kamik, Baffin or North Face boots! If you can't make it out, be sure to follow us on Instagram to see posts from the fashion show. Just search Canadian Footwear and give us a follow!

Let's Blog About Bogs!

Well this is a nice surprise! I'm sure we all remember last year around this time, we were all crying every morning because we had to walk outside into the polar vortex. No matter how many layers you had on or how many pairs of socks you fit into your boots, you still felt like every part of your body was frozen for those few minutes you had to be outside.

Not this year! In fact, we're at quite the opposite this week. Temperatures are sitting between 0 and -10 every day. The sun may not be shining all the time, but we don't have to spend seven extra minutes getting ready in the morning because all you need is a light winter parka.

The problem with this weather is your choice in footwear. It's still winter which means yes it is still cold, despite it being a little warmer this week. But now, the snow is turning to gross brown slush, which will pretty much ruin any pair of non-waterproof shoes. And if you wear your -40 degree boots, your feet will be sweaty puddles by the time you get to where you're going.

So is there a solution to this? Of course there is, and we can help you with it!

Have you heard of Bogs? If not, they're going to be the best thing you'll hear about all day. What are Bogs? They are a fantastic combination of a winter boot and rubber boot. Waterproof, cold rated from -10 to -40 degrees Celsius, and stylish! The better part? We carry them in men's, women's AND kids! Your whole family is set!

So let's break each of them down. For the men. Well, we know lots of men don't like super flashy, out there shoes, so we've kept it simple. Plain black, perfect to go over your dress pants. No it's not the most fashionable, but it sure beats having splash stains on your dress pants going into your 9 am meeting, don't you think?

Women...well we know you like variety, and we know you like colour. So we gave you both! We've got a mainly black boot with some coloured patterns. Perfect addition to any outfit and again, avoiding mucky pants.

And kids. We all remember how "fun" it was when our parents bundled us up in the morning with our ski pants, jackets, scarf, tuque and mitts. We would go outside at recess, play for 20 minutes, and come home with soaking wet pants and boots. While we can't help you with the wet ski pants, bogs make a great addition to the winter wardrobe, especially if kids are walking to and from school. They are cold rated up to -40 degrees Celsius, waterproof, easy to take on and off, and can be used in Spring AND Winter! A versatile pair of boots is great for kids.

So a quick recap...why choose Bogs?
- waterproof
- cold rated from -10 to -40 Celsius
- easy to get on and off
- different colours/styles
- Max Wick moves sweat away from your foot to keep your feet dry
- non marking sole

There's no better time than now to get out and enjoy the winter weather. Yes it's cold (well not today, but generally), but there's so many things you can do like skating, skiing, and tobogganing that you can't enjoy in 30 degree weather. So get your Bogs, get out and enjoy Winnipeg!

You Asked...We Answered!

Have you ever had questions about shoes, footwear, or foot care? We know you do, and we want to help answer your questions!

Here are some commonly asked questions we get and the answers from our fit specialists and Certified Canadian Pedorthists:


Q: How often should I get my feet measured when buying shoes?

A: Every time! Your feet are always changing and if you only buy shoes once or twice a year, it's very possible that your feet have changed over time. You want to make sure you have the right fit to avoid rubbing, blisters, ingrown nails or swollen feet.


Q: I've noticed my feet are swollen when I walk for long periods of time. Is this normal?

A: That's something that should be looked at. It could be related to diabetes, arthritis, or poor circulation. They're could be rubbing inside the shoe along the sides or even at the end of the shoe, so the shoe being too short. Compression stockings may help as well.


Q: What kind of socks should I wear to keep my feet warm outside in the winter?

A: Any kind of sock made of acrylic, polypropylene, and wool. These will keep your feet dry and warm. Avoid things like cotton that cause your feet to become wet once they start sweating.


Q: How do I know if I need insoles or orthotics?

A: You would need a referral from a physician or podiatrist. We do a full proper assessment; check range of motion, and watch the patient walk to determine whether the patient requires custom made orthotics. Sometimes an off the shelf insole is all a patient might need.


Q: If I have orthotics, how often should I be replacing them?

A: It depends on body weight, medical conditions like diabetes or arthritis that's definitely going to determine how often people should replace orthotics. But general rule of thumb is every 3-5 years orthotics should be replaced.


Q: I have a bigger shoe size (13 women's). Can I find shoes in your store?

A: Of course! We carry up to a size 17 and we have multiple widths in our shoes. Come into our store to check out our selection.


Q: How often should I replace my running shoes? I'm a pretty active runner about 5-7 km four times a week.

A: Statistics show us that 350 to 400 hours is the maximum time and then runners start to lose their integrity. So this depends on how often/how long you run for. If you're a frequent runner, you might look at buying 1-3 pairs of runners per year.


Q: I have very flat feet. Do I need to be wearing insoles or orthotics to prevent problems later in life?

A: Orthotics would probably benefit somebody with flat feet. Not everyone with flat feet requires custom orthotics. If you're having foot pain or discomfort in your feet arches, knees, lower back definitely a custom orthotic would benefit a patient with flat feet.




Thank-you all for your questions! Of course if you have any other questions anytime, feel free to stop by any of our three locations or call our Foothealth Centre! We are happy to help you and fit you anytime!