Best Places For Dress Shoes In Chicago
348 S. Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 212-8860
www.florodora.com
Michael Blossom, owner of Florodora and Florodora Shoes, says that "our fashion aesthetic is contemporary, but influenced by our vintage-downtown neighborhood." Located in the historic Monadnock Building in the Loop, the shoe boutique offers unique, stylish and comfortable shoes from hard-to-find designers including Chie Mihara, Coclico, Cydwoq, H by Hudson, All Black and Daniella Lehavi. Blossom explains, "About half of our shoes are made in Spain or Italy, with a smaller number of styles coming from USA, Brazil, Taiwan and Portugal. In general, we try to carry shoes that are stylish, a bit different from what you find at the mainstream stores, well-made and wearable."
875 N. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 787-6800
www.hanigs.com
Located in the John Hancock Center, Hanig's specializes in Euro-comfort styles that cannot be found in most shoe stores around the country. You won't find a bored teenager tossing a box of shoes your way at Hanig's; the shop's average staff member has been in the shoe industry over 25 years, so they are experts in fitting. Beauty and comfort costs more, however, your footwear will last as long as you love it. Hanig's also has shops on North Avenue in the city and in Wilmette.
103 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60303
(708) 524-5740
www.norasshoeshop.com
Nora's Shoe Shop (in Oak Park and Geneva) carries many brands that cannot be found in department stores — fashion forward without being overly trendy, so if you invest in a pair, the footwear won't be going out of style next season. Owner Nora Curtain says "I also work hard at choosing lines that I can customize the material and colors they come in so they aren't mass produced or easy to be found online. When I run out of a style, 90 percent of the time I can not get it again because it was made to order for my stores the way I picked it out."
Related: Best Shopping In Chicago's West Town
1718 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 787-3237
www.battagliafootwear.com
Italy handcrafts some of the finest products in the world, and that includes shoes. The dilemma is that most of the covetable footwear doesn't even reach the United States, but you can get a smattering at Battaglia Footwear, which has had a 25 year presence in Chicago. Owner Enzo Battaglia maintains closes connections with Italian artisans giving the business an edge and flexibility in its exclusive designs and materials. Expect a customized fit for maximum comfort in dress shoes as well as personalized colors, materials and heel heights. Even if your foot is extremely difficult to fit, a form can be created so you can also enjoy Italian elegance.
1910 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 342-8684
www.shopakira.com
Trendy boots, heels with fringe, retro platforms, sweet flats and more are waiting for your lower digits at the AKIRA shoe stores in Lincoln Park, Water Tower Place and Bucktown. Established in 2002 in a Wicker Park storefront, AKIRA has blossomed into 18 clothing and shoe boutiques across Chicago. Stylists are experts in the most current national and international trends from numerous designer brands and smaller fashion houses. You'll find that footwear at AKIRA is also easy on the budget.
