Ingledew's Shoes celebrates 100 years in Vancouver

In a world where many retailers are struggling to stay afloat, Vancouver-based Ingledew's Shoes is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the opening of a new flagship store in the city's financial district.

But when founder William Wright Ingledew first opened his Granville Street doors in 1915, the shoe business was very different than it is today.

So was Vancouver, where Ingledew had come to find his fortune. The son of an Ontario fisherman worked as a longshoreman before opening the first Ingledew's in downtown Vancouver.

"There were wooden sidewalks, and where the art gallery is now, there was a field with ponies in it," said Bill Ingledew, grandson of William Wright Ingledew and the third generation CEO.

"Imagine, a field where we have now a gigantic shopping mall."

Besides changes to the city landscape, Ingledew's has seen big changes in the shoe business.

1. The rise of casual footwear

When Ingledew's started in 1915, they stocked only dress shoes.

"Women in particular wore dress shoes," said Bill Ingledew, "There was no such thing as a casual shoe."

After World War II, lifestyle changes brought a demand for different types of footwear. Today, "Iifestyle casual footwear" makes up 60 per cent of Ingledew's women's business.

2. The variety of styles and sizes

Ingledew says his grandfather would be amazed at the variety of styles and sizes available today. But the shop began to specialize in multiple shapes and sizes from the early days, to meet the demands of the Canadian market.

"We have some very different feet in North America," remarked Ingledew. "Narrow feet, wide feet. It created an industry that was quite unique from the European industry because of the fittings."

Today, Ingledew's still specializes in hard-to-find sizes.

3. Changes in shoe technology

The 1960s brought big advances in athletic shoe technology, fuelled in part by the University of Oregon track team, and eventually the creation of Nike.

"Today, athletic shoe technology is an important part of the classic shoe industry," said Ingledew. "It's really changed dramatically the kind of shoes we sell."

4. Dawn of the shopping mall

By 1964, Ingledew's had storefronts in Vancouver and Victoria, and had expanded into Brentwood Mall, and Oakridge Centre — one of the first malls in Canada.

Today, Ingledew's is located in five Metro Vancouver malls, but retains a flagship storefront in downtown Vancouver.

5. End of Canadian manufacturing

When Ingledew's opened in 1915, most of the shoes came from Canada or the United States. In the 1970s, when Bill Ingledew joined the company, there were still many Canadian manufacturers.

But massive inflation saw Canadian companies turn to importing, or closing down. Today, Ingledew's shoes imports many shoes made in the U.S. and Europe.

"We do a lot of development in Europe, particularly of shoes that are unique and different," said Ingledew.