Pedestrian Shops Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:

Richard Polk

Pedestrian Shops

Phone: 303.641.8639

Richard@pedestrianshops.com

Long-time "green" retailer's 21st Thanksgiving Shoe Drive

Boulder, CO – Nov. 9, 2009 – In celebration of Thanksgiving, Boulder's Pedestrian Shops are asking customers to donate shoes they no longer wear, to help people in need. They may bring new or slightly used shoes to the Pedestrian Shops between Friday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 6. As an incentive for a used shoe donation, Pedestrian offers a 10 percent discount on a shoe purchase. However, no purchase is required to donate shoes.

Pedestrian gives the used shoes to local assistance organizations. This is the store’s 42nd shoe drive; it also conducts a drive each April as part of its Earth Day celebration. In 21 years of twice-yearly shoe drives, the Pedestrian Shops have collected more than 35,000 pairs for reuse by people in need.

The Pedestrian Shops’ "green business" practices also include operation of a 10 kW photovoltaic solar array that generates energy equal to half of the electricity used at its headquarters on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

"We plan to keep increasing our energy generation while decreasing our energy consumption until we are the first retailer in the world to sell shoes without leaving a carbon footprint," said Pedestrian’s owner Richard Polk.

The Pedestrian Shops have been a locally owned family business in Boulder, Colorado, for 40 years. Pedestrian operates two Boulder stores, as well as the website www.comfortableshoes.com, where additional information can be found.

The Pedestrian Shops sell the world's most comfortable brands of shoes and encourage customers to enjoy life and take a walk.

On the Downtown Boulder Mall: 1425 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado

In the Village: Facing Folsom between Arapahoe and Canyon Boulevard, Boulder, Colorado

Blundstone Clogs are here at the Pedestrian Shops!
We have sold Blundstones for many years now, but really only in their classic boot styles. The Blundstone boot, or "Blunnie" has always been kind of a cult classic in the work-boot world - and a staple of our store and website.
I guess it never occurred to us that they would do much different than the tried and true boot. But, now that they have created the Blundstone Clog - it seems like a perfect fit, and addition to our store offerings.
The Blundstone Clog is a convertible version of our classic 500 series boot and offers the same durability and classic comfort that Blundstone is known for with their boots. And you wouldn't think it to look at them, but these clogs are lightweight too! Some of the other features of the Blundstone Clog include:

- Direct injected dual polyurethane outsole
- SPS in the heel
- Industrial strenght liner
- Waterproof leather

You can purchase this fabulous clog in our store on Pearl Street, or from our website!

The Pedestrian Shops and longtime neighbor Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery teamed up on Friday, April 24, 2009 to celebrate Colorado Children’s Day with a kids’ Crocs decorating event.

Between our Kid's Crocs Decorating Event with the Boulder Arts and Crafts Co-op, and our sale of Kid's Cayman since then, we've raised a total of $1967.27 for the Kid's Learning Loop at the Valmont Bike Park! You can read the original blog/article about this event here

Wired did an awesome review of Vibram FiveFingers. They focus on running, but these 'toe gloves' can be worn for a wide variety of activities. Come in and check them out in our store, or of course, we carry them online on our Vibram page!

The Pedestrian Shops and longtime neighbor Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery are teaming up to celebrate Colorado Children’s Day with a kids’ Crocs decorating event on Friday, April 24, 2009 from 1 pm to 3 pm.

The two businesses have been next-door neighbors and friends since they first opened in the early 1970s in the 1300 block of Pearl Street. In the 1980s, within a few years both coincidentally built their dream stores next to each other a block to the east, in the1400 block of the Pearl Street Mall.

“This is going to be fun,” said Pedestrian’s Richard Polk. “We both care about children and the environment, and have been talking for a long time about an event celebrating our common values.”

Colorado Children’s Day (ccdboulder.googlepages.com) kicks off Boulder County Family Week, a week of community-based hands-on activities, Saturday, April 25 to Friday, May 1.

Parents and kids can purchase a pair of kids’ Crocs at the Pedestrian Shops on Colorado Children’s Day and take them next door to the Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery to decorate them. Both businesses are located in the 1400 block of the Pearl Street Mall, near the stone animals playpark. The rain date is April 27, 1 pm to 3 pm.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of Kids' Classic Crocs and donations for decorating them will be given to the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and designated for the Kids' Learning Loop at the Valmont Bike Park. Besides Pedestrian Shops and Boulder Arts & Crafts, Crocs and Jibbitz are also sponsors of the event.

Additional Earth Day celebrations will be held at Pedestrian Shops and Boulder Arts & Crafts during April.

The Pedestrian Shops is holding its 41st shoe drive from April 10 through April 26, celebrating Earth Day by collecting gently worn shoes that will be distributed to people in need by local assistance organizations. Customers who donate shoes will receive a 10% discount on any shoe purchase. During 20 years of Earth Day and Thanksgiving shoe drives, Pedestrian has collected 26,000 pairs of shoes to help needy people in the community. The longtime “green” retailer also operates a 10 kw solar array generating energy equal to half the shop's needs.

At the same time, Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery is hosting a selection of “Recycled Goods,” designed & produced using recycled and reusable materials from local artists. Items range from fine art to personal and home accessories, such as Nederland’s English Retreads wallets, belts and purses made from recycled bicycle tubes and old machinery decorated with stylized portraits by Longmont’s Bruce Campbell. Raffle chances will be sold in the store for $1 each to win a Campbell sculpture.



For more information, contact:

· Lisa McDonough, Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, lisa@boulderartsandcrafts.com, 303-443-3683.
· Richard Polk, richard@pedestrianshops.com, 303-641-8639.
· Lauren Polk, Pedestrian Shops,
lauren@pedestrianshops.com, 303-449-5260.

www.PedestrianShops.com
www.boulderartsandcrafts.com
http://bma-mtb.org/valmontbikepark/

Well, the Bolder Boulder is upon us again - the 31st annual if you can believe that! It is an exciting year for the Pedestrian Shops too - we are, for the first time, carrying running shoes in our store (we have mentioned that in a previous blog).

It is also an exciting year, as the Bolder Boulder are now going to allow Ipods and other musical devices. I think this is great news for many runners, as Ipods and music help pass the time, and help to establish a running rhythm. Personally, I don't think I would rack up as many miles as I do every week if I couldn't listen to music.

We hope everyone has a great race, and we also hope you will stop by the Pedestrian Shops before or after the big event!

If you just got into town, and realized that you forgot your running shoes, you might want to check out our Saucony and New Balance pages. We carry some great styles and we can accommodate just about any foot and size!

We have added a new Brand of shoes to the Pedestrian Shops catalog - Pikolinos Shoes and Sandals!
These shoes are made in Spain, and they are beautifully crafted and supremely comfortable!

Pikolinos are hand-crafted, and hand sewn with all natural leather that is very soft, but very durable. The colors of Pikolinos shoes are rich and unique, as are the designs.

Pikolinos uses a "sewn to sole" method of production on many models, which allows the shoe to be flexible and to adapt to each individual's foot - thus achieving maximum comfort.

The Pedestrian Shops is proud to carry Pikolinos - among the styles we carry are the Mallorca, the Jerez, and the Romana.

The Pedestrian Shops is proud to now be on Flickr! Today, we set up our own Flickr Profile where we will upload and profile many of our top selling shoes.
This is a great way to scroll through many styles quickly. We plan on setting up a number of categories, and each shoe photo will have a short description of the shoe, and a link into our website! We started our Flickr! photo collection off with a photo of the Dansko Professional Burgundy.
Stay tuned to our Flickr! account, as there is more to come!

Every year, and every season that the Pedestrian Shops receives new styles, there are usually a few that really stand out as being superstars. Many of them stand the test of time, and are shoes that we have now carried for years. Recently, the J-41 Journey made the superstar list.

This sporty wedge features nubuck uppers with cute, decorative "holes' that allow your feet to breathe and feel really comfortable. It also has a very effective closure system that is easy to adjust for people "on the move." It also has a removable, contoured footbed, adding to the Journey's versatility.
If you wonder about comfort, this shoe will likely give you an "Ahhh" feeling as you slip into it. The J-41 Journey has superior cushioning, so it really can be worn all day. Don't worry about scuffing up any floors as you travel throughout your day - the sole is non-marking. The sole also has great traction, and since it is made of compressed rubber, it absorbs shock very well, and is extremely durable. These shoes should last you a while. In addition, the Journey has toe and heel bumpers to protect sensitive parts of your feet from the elements.
This is a versatile shoe in that it can be worn in very casual environments, and may also be a great shoe for work. The Pedestrian Shops carries the Journey in Blackberry, Brown, and Grey colors!

As this is being written, it is almost 70 degrees in Boulder, and people are outside in full-force - most notably the runners! Did you know that Olympic runners frequently train in Boulder due to the wonderful weather, and for the elevation? Training at 5,000-plus feet really helps your lungs to get into great shape!
We also have the Bolder Boulder coming very fast. This year it will be held on the 31st of May (Memorial Day)

So what does this all have to do with the Pedestrian Shops? Well, after 30+ years of being in the business of selling the world's most comfortable brands of shoes - we are finally now selling the world's best running shoes! That's right - Boulder now has another great alternative for running shoes - and the great thing is that the Pedestrian Shops Pearl Street store is right in the middle of all of the great Bolder Boulder action!

Two of our big brands that we are now carrying are New Balance and Saucony. If you need your running shoes before the big race, you can take advantage of our website's FREE SHIPPING and have them delivered right to your doorstep.

We encourage you to stop by the store to see our great selection of running shoes, and we wish you a fun and fast Bolder Boulder!