Finding a Voice

Last fall my brother Tom asked me to write a press release for his new show store – in exchange for a sweet pair of city-style hiking boots. I can attest that these boots kept me comfortable – and healthy – during long Fridays of standing up to proofread the newspaper. They were also warm enough to take me through the winter. And I never felt ugly with so many people admiring them!

PRESS RELEASE

October 30, 2007

Tom Taylor (of Stride Shoes in Kensington) has partnered with Mephisto to open Calgary’s second Mephisto Concept Store, located in Marda Loop. Owner Tom Taylor, with his wife Lori, watched Mephisto shoe sales “go up and up” in the past two years at their first store, Stride in Kensington. “We’re really excited about the opportunity to open a Mephisto shop,” Taylor comments, “because these shoes are the best quality in the world.”

Founded in France in 1965, Mephisto currently serves over 18,000 customers, exporting to 62 countries, with more than 660 Mephisto Concept Shops worldwide. Their main headquarters and factory are still in France, where their products are handmade with the finest materials and craftsmanship possible. The shoes feature innovative technology and unique construction methods to provide superior comfort and protection for walking on urban streets or rugged outdoor terrain.

In addition to shoes, Mephisto produces fashion wear and accessories such as sportswear; handbags, briefcases, and wallets; insoles, socks, laces, and upkeep supplies such as shoe-trees and shoe-horns.

Employee Leslie Hossack comes to the new Mephisto Concept Shop with over a decade in retail experience. This is her first foray into shoe sales, and after just one month (the grand opening was in September), Hossack is impressed. “A lot of people have been wearing Mephistos already,” she observes, “and they tend to stick with them.” A sign in the store reads, “We had back problems. Now we wear Mephistos.” Hossack affirms this: in addition to work that requires standing all day, she has had two back surgeries, “so I know I need to have a comfortable shoe.”

Mephisto customers understand that it’s not about looks and style anymore, it’s about comfort. That said, the styles are attractive. They are also adaptable; approximately half of the walking shoes have removable insoles for wearers with special footwear needs. 

One Mephisto style is the Niro by All-Rounder, a running shoe. The Pink version, called “Hope,” has a pink ribbon embroidered on the side, with a portion of its proceeds going to breast cancer. Velcro straps in heel and across the bridge make the shoe fully customizable. Tom Taylor wore these shoes in a race to support breast cancer research after a neighbour was diagnosed with the disease.

Customers can find the finest quality walking shoes at the Mephisto Concept Store on 33^rd Avenue near Crowchild in the district of Marda Loop (just past the Esso station and next door to Wanderlust). This quaint area offers a variety of restaurants and retail outlets, with free parking in front, at the side, and a parking lot in the back.

Contact information:

Mephisto Concept Store

Owner: Tom Taylor

113-2205, 33^rd Avenue SW

Calgary T2T 1Z9 

Tel: 403-249-9190 (office)

        403-607-8984 (cell)