With the anticipated opening of Sole (108 N. Kirkwood Road), shoppers in Kirkwood will soon have a new place to go for shoes and accessories. The store, which is owned by Tammy White of Sole & Blues in The Loop, is slated to open this summer.
Although the two stores have similar names, White says Sole will not be just another location of Sole & Blues. “Sole will have the same edginess but a different product offering,” she says. “It’s a comfort-shoe store, but we’re going after the person who wants something more fashionable than the Frankenstein shoes their doctor tells them to wear.”
Sole will carry stylish shoe brands with comfort features, such as Tsubo, Frye, Alegria, and Camper, among others. “It’s stuff you can’t find anywhere else,” adds White.
White, who grew up in Kirkwood, hopes the new location will fill the void left when a previous shoe store moved out of the area. Since the Kirkwood store will be approximately half the size of Sole & Blues, she says the inventory will be more focused, although she anticipates throwing some handbags and jewelry into the mix.
White has owned Sole & Blues for about 15 years. She also owned a store in Chicago's Lincoln Park before turning all of her attention to the St. Louis location. In addition, White’s resume includes experience in both wholesale and retail while working for companies like Timberland and Brown Shoe Company.
“It was time to move forward and establish a footprint in St. Louis,” White says of the new location in downtown Kirkwood. She also indicated plans to look for a larger space for a third store later this year.
