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So long, sandals. Flip-flops? It's been real. It's time to tuck away the summer shoes and prep your soles for colder weather. Here's a list of our 10 essential stores for shopping boots in Chicago this season. Where will you be getting your kicks this fall? Let us know in the comments below.
And if you happen to be shop-hopping from city to city, check out our Racked sister sites' guides to cruising boots in Los Angeles, New York, and more.
We'd hoof it to Roscoe Village anytime to hit up this totally-devoted-to-shoes shop. With fall boot weather setting in, staffers are helping customers pull on styles from brands such as Corso Como and La Canadienne.
If you're looking for a store where staffers are eager to gush over fall trends, this may not be your spot. If you're looking for no-nonsense, fall-leaf-crushing looks for men and women from lines like Palladium and Doc Martens, welcome to Belmont Army Surplus.
Lori's tagline isn't "the sole of Chicago" for nothing. The beloved spot for women's shoes specializes in styles that are on-trend (yes!) and affordable (yes-er!) This season, the Armitage Avenue shop carries everything from Calvin Klein's slouchy suede "Rae" boots to Carrol's spiffy, black leather booties with pointy toes.
An established favorite on the local-boutique scene, City Soles is giving Chicago the boot this fall. New selections include tall, brown leather boots with Native-American-inspired details (staffers they can see Mae West in them), and looks from Damen Frost, P. Monjo, and more for men. Want more detail? Hop over to the City Soles website, which has product reviews on video from the store's sole-obsessed owner.
You may be from Chicago if... at least half your shoe selection is from Akira Bucktown Footwear. The hometown hero, which has outlets popping up throughout the city like mad, has its roots in footwear. This fall, look for nontraditional boot styles like The Mist Clear Rain Boot in orange, which may be the only rain boots we can see clubbing in.
This funky shop in Ukrainian Village has Chicago's largest selection of Western boots. There are alligator, roper, and smooth-leather boots for men; lizard, ostrich, and fringed styles for ladies; and even harness baby booties for wee cowboys and girls. If the styles here aren't completely cutting-edge, they are classic and all-American—and perfect for Chicago denizens who are a little bit country (we're raising our hands over here.)
The clean, airy, and sprawling shoe section at the Michigan Avenue Nordstrom has a friendly and totally efficient sales staff, which can help when you're stepping in and out of a bazillion pairs of boots. And what boots there are. Styles for men, women, and children bear brand names ranging from Tory Burch to Cole Haan and Sperry.
Rustic and durable is the name of the game at this Michigan Avenue shop. If you're into hiking, this is a perfect place to plough through practical-but-still-pretty-cute styles, which cater to men, women, and kids. This fall, we're hot on the trail (heh, get it?) of the Women's Earthkeep Trenton Tall Waterproof Boots, which have a side-zipper for easy entry and leather in a lovely tobacco shade.
Have you stopped by the spankin' new shoe department at the 900 Shops' Bloomies? Ever since the department moved upstairs and expanded, there's a whole new energy. (And this is a good thing.) Fall boot styles come from Luxury Rebel, Isaac Mizrahi, Burberry, Ted Baker, and more.
Steeped in old-timey charm (it's housed in the historic Monadnak building, and feels like a trapped-in-time boudoir), Florodora gets a great selection of tall and ankle boots for fall and winter. The styles are from lines like Colico, which uses Spanish leather, and the small Italian brand Gidigio. Looks, according to a sales rep, are "classic and for everyday, but they have those European details that make them feel a little vintage-inspired, and handmade." Mm, craftsmanship.
We'd hoof it to Roscoe Village anytime to hit up this totally-devoted-to-shoes shop. With fall boot weather setting in, staffers are helping customers pull on styles from brands such as Corso Como and La Canadienne.
If you're looking for a store where staffers are eager to gush over fall trends, this may not be your spot. If you're looking for no-nonsense, fall-leaf-crushing looks for men and women from lines like Palladium and Doc Martens, welcome to Belmont Army Surplus.
Lori's tagline isn't "the sole of Chicago" for nothing. The beloved spot for women's shoes specializes in styles that are on-trend (yes!) and affordable (yes-er!) This season, the Armitage Avenue shop carries everything from Calvin Klein's slouchy suede "Rae" boots to Carrol's spiffy, black leather booties with pointy toes.
An established favorite on the local-boutique scene, City Soles is giving Chicago the boot this fall. New selections include tall, brown leather boots with Native-American-inspired details (staffers they can see Mae West in them), and looks from Damen Frost, P. Monjo, and more for men. Want more detail? Hop over to the City Soles website, which has product reviews on video from the store's sole-obsessed owner.
You may be from Chicago if... at least half your shoe selection is from Akira Bucktown Footwear. The hometown hero, which has outlets popping up throughout the city like mad, has its roots in footwear. This fall, look for nontraditional boot styles like The Mist Clear Rain Boot in orange, which may be the only rain boots we can see clubbing in.
This funky shop in Ukrainian Village has Chicago's largest selection of Western boots. There are alligator, roper, and smooth-leather boots for men; lizard, ostrich, and fringed styles for ladies; and even harness baby booties for wee cowboys and girls. If the styles here aren't completely cutting-edge, they are classic and all-American—and perfect for Chicago denizens who are a little bit country (we're raising our hands over here.)
The clean, airy, and sprawling shoe section at the Michigan Avenue Nordstrom has a friendly and totally efficient sales staff, which can help when you're stepping in and out of a bazillion pairs of boots. And what boots there are. Styles for men, women, and children bear brand names ranging from Tory Burch to Cole Haan and Sperry.
Rustic and durable is the name of the game at this Michigan Avenue shop. If you're into hiking, this is a perfect place to plough through practical-but-still-pretty-cute styles, which cater to men, women, and kids. This fall, we're hot on the trail (heh, get it?) of the Women's Earthkeep Trenton Tall Waterproof Boots, which have a side-zipper for easy entry and leather in a lovely tobacco shade.
Have you stopped by the spankin' new shoe department at the 900 Shops' Bloomies? Ever since the department moved upstairs and expanded, there's a whole new energy. (And this is a good thing.) Fall boot styles come from Luxury Rebel, Isaac Mizrahi, Burberry, Ted Baker, and more.
Steeped in old-timey charm (it's housed in the historic Monadnak building, and feels like a trapped-in-time boudoir), Florodora gets a great selection of tall and ankle boots for fall and winter. The styles are from lines like Colico, which uses Spanish leather, and the small Italian brand Gidigio. Looks, according to a sales rep, are "classic and for everyday, but they have those European details that make them feel a little vintage-inspired, and handmade." Mm, craftsmanship.
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