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Fluevog flirts with 40: shoe designs ‘with personality and a cheeky sense of humour.’

Vancouver, BC’s distinctive fashion star with a global following marks four decades of funky, fashion-forward footwear.

by Teresa Earle 10 August 2010

Women are expert at conjuring reasons why we need a new pair of shoes. This time, I have the perfect excuse: the inimitable John Fluevog Boots & Shoes and I both turn 40 this year. The big question is: will it be a pair of fabulous Minis or tried-and-true, resoleable Angels?

I’ve been lusting for Fluevogs since my teen years in Vancouver, BC, where the Fluevog empire was born. No outing to the cinemas on Granville Mall was complete without lingering at the window of the ultra-hip Fluevog shop on Granville St. I’m not alone: the shoemaker’s cult following is legendary and, from Madonna to Jane’s Addiction to Scarlett Johansson, famous feet from around the world have worn creations by this footwear impresario.

Launched as Fox & Fluevog in 1970, the shoe empire four decades later—overseen by John Fluevog—includes stores in Vancouver, Toronto, ON, Montréal, QC, and six US cities. The company’s eco-friendly flagship Gastown location is a cavernous atrium built in a former parking lot. Fluevog’s green commitment is increasingly expressed in his shoes with materials like hemp and natural latex.

Known for infusing his designs with personality and a cheeky sense of humour, Fluevog is celebrating 40 years in business with panache. In April, he launched the Porter Shoe, an exclusive design for staff at the luxury Opus Hotels, and in May he teamed up with Vancouver coffee company JJ Bean Coffee Roasters to create a limited-edition shoe and Fluevog-inspired bean blend.

To mark the anniversary, the Museum of Vancouver has mounted a fashion retrospective featuring more than 150 shoes along with sketches, catalogues and photographs. Strap on your fave Fluevogs and take in Fox, Fluevog & Friends at MOV through September.

www.hellobc.com

video:
Gastown: From Old to Hip in Vancouver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkPnhkDJnWg

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Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

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