John Fleuvog returns to his Canadian roots

John Fleuvog Shoe, "Operetta"
The next time you’re in Vancouver, BC stop in at John Fluevog’s new world headquarters in Gastown. The shoe maven opened his very first shop just down the street in the 1970s. It was a bit smaller than the airy 5,000 sq. ft. space, which will be both Fluevog’s flagship retail store and the design team’s workspace. It officially opened on March 17.

Housed in a former parking lot, it’s a glass cathedral-like space. Fluevog’s “rebellious footwear” is displayed on reclaimed old growth wood displays, propped up by salvaged pipe from the Alaska pipeline. The store’s back wall covered in Portuguese shoe leather and in the works is a living Green Wall, where plants will grow up the sides of an adjacent building.

Upstairs is visible from below the retail space below. That’s where the creative shoemakers work from their mobile pod-like desks. Natural lights streams in, with a view out to the rail yards and the North Shore Mountains beyond. Most everything in the new flagship store was created out of reclaimed, recycled or pre-fabricated materials.

John Fluevog is located at 65 Water Street in Gastown. It’s open seven days a week.

John Fluevog is an independent designer and retailer of forward-thinking footwear. Since 1970, he has been creating unique soles that have been seen on the feet of such entertainers as Madonna and the Scissor Sisters to to regular folks, too. Pictured above: the Operetta Viardot, in goldenrod and cream.

2 Responses to John Fleuvog returns to his Canadian roots

  1. Sue Frause says:

    I figured as much. I’ll be in Vancouver in May so will put it on my list of places to check out! Thanks.

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