In a few seconds, you will see a very special photo.

Something few people have seen…

And even fewer people have touched.

My shoe closet:

Allison's current shoe closet

A few summer favorites

It may not look like anything special, but in a 1300 square foot house, this is coveted space. My closet changes with the seasons and evolves rather quickly. It visibly holds 50 shoes, while storing out-of-season shoes in the back of the bottom shelves. Shoes purchased from Shoe Gypsy, Shoetopia, Pink Sugar Shoes, Red Coyote Running, Balliet’s and an amazing little shoe store in Florence, Italy (I had to throw that in just to make you jealous) exist in this closet.

I also have vintage shoes, shoes from Nordstrom (that I should have bought at Balliet’s… ya live, ya learn) and a few shoes that wish to remain anonymous.

I believe these facts qualify me to address the Best of OKC – Best Shoe Store category.

• Blue 7 – I love this store. The evidence is here and here. They have a growing shoe department that includes Toms and Keds. However, I would really like to see them win a different category. In my ideal Best of OKC world, I would prefer stores to win in the categories that best represent them. For Blue 7, women’s, men’s, accessories or gifts would be a better choice.
• Metro Shoe Warehouse – Does anyone know about this store? I woefully admit that I know nothing about it, and can only assume it’s associated with Metroshoewarehouse.com. Please leave a comment on this post if you have opinions on this store – thanks!
• Red Coyote Running & Fitness – This isn’t the first time I’ve raved about Red Coyote, nor will it be the last. Red Coyote is not only a great asset to the fitness community, but a nice store for someone that wants to be more active and needs a good start. They carry many brands of reasonably-priced athletic shoes and the staff is very knowledgeable. Read my article on their innovative shoe-fitting process here. They are also nominated in the Sporting Goods category.
• Shoe Gypsy – If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I talk about Shoe Gypsy quite a bit. First, they are a member of Keep It Local OK, so I get to use my discount there. Second, they are dangerously close to my house and a perfect place to wander post-afternoon coffee. I recently purchased a pair of Converse Slims and a pair of Seychelles (Bette) in off-white. As usual, I am happy with my purchases. Shoe Gypsy hosted a show for Helm Handmade Boots a few weeks ago. These are crazy cool boots, which might even still be on display at the store (hurry over there!!). This, along with my recent purchase happiness, make Shoe Gypsy the front-runner in this category for me.
• Shoetopia – This store will always hold a special place in my heart. I shopped here several times during the point in my life when I was trying to understand why I had such a strong desire to build something to support local shopping. Every time I visited this store, I was reminded why: It’s about the people. Shoetopia employees are so friendly and offer thoughtful suggestions without being pushy. That’s an accomplishment in the shoe world. The only downside to Shoetopia is that they haven’t expanded to sell men’s shoes as well.

Obviously Absent: Pink Sugar Shoe Boutique in Edmond. I drool over Pink Sugar’s variety of heels and dressy shoes every time I visit. Displayed in their open and airy store, each shoe can be easily examined. I would shop Pink Sugar during Edmond’s Krazy Daze this year for sure.

Outside of Oklahoma: I cheat on my Oklahoma shoe stores pretty much every time that I leave the state. Sorry, I can’t help myself! Although I change my mind frequently, my current favorite out-of-state shoe store is The Perfect Pair (Nashville, TN). They specialize in high-quality leather shoes and boots and well-chosen accessories. Plus, isn’t that the cutest name?

Next, Accessories…