Winner
Gravitypope
Inside this industrial fortress of exposed brick and concrete, there are shoes — lots of them. But quantity alone didn’t make Gravitypope an institution. Its the extensive collection of footwear to complement any style or be a statement piece that has helped earn the Alberta-born chain its reputation.
Gravitypope began when Louise Dirks opened the first shop in Edmonton in 1990, followed by a Calgary location a decade later. Now she’s expanded to Canada’s east and west coasts, and the stores stock more than 200 globally sourced footwear and clothing brands, including its own signature line.
Cool product alert: Trippen Box Seesaw, $490
1126 17 Ave. S.W., 403-209-0961, gravitypope.com, @gravitypope
Runners-up
The Shoe Closet
1404 9 Ave. S.E., 587-435-7463, theshoeclosets.com, @theshoeclosetinglewood
Poppy Barley
CF Market Mall, 3625 Shaganappi Tr. N.W., 888-404-5161, poppybarley.com, @poppybarley
Shoe Muse
326 Aspen Glen Landing S.W., 403-453-0790, shoemuse.com, @shoe_muse
John Fluevog Shoes
207 8 Ave. S.W., 403-265-1970, fluevog.com, @fluevog