After retiring from working many years in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels, Beverly Krausher decided it was time to start up her own business.
At the time, there wasn’t a great selection for fashionable and special occasion shoes in Red Deer. As a result, many women were travelling to Calgary or Edmonton to buy their shoes. Beverly thought the city was big enough to warrant this type of store so she decided to start her own. That is when Great Strides Fine Shoes was born.
The focus for Great Stride Fine Shoes leaned more toward occasion shoes in the beginning, but over the years, they were able to offer more of a variety — including shoes recommended by podiatrists. One thing that has never changed is their commitment to comfort in every category.
“I don’t wear uncomfortable shoes, but I also don’t wear boring shoes either,” Beverly says.
Great Strides Fine Shoes also carries many European brands where comfort and style always go hand-in-hand.
Great Strides Fine Shoes continues their commitment to bring quality footwear brands to Central Alberta. There’s a clear need for specialized shops where customers are served by knowledgeable staff members. One of the tag lines Great Strides Fine Shoes likes to use is ‘If the shoe fits – you probably didn’t buy it online’ as the sit-and-fit stores like Great Strides Fine Shoes continue to be relevant.
In celebration of 20 years in business, Great Strides Fine Shoes is offering the community a chance to win free shoes for one year! Everyone is welcome to participate and no purchase is necessary to enter. They are asking for a minimum $5 contribution to their choice of charity, which will be Dress For Success.
The lucky winner will receive a gift certificate with a value up to $150 each month for 12 months. There will be subsidiary prizes as well!
Great Strides Fine Shoes love to hear their customer’s shoe stories. Customers have come back to the store explaining that they were stopped on the streets of Paris, London, New York, Montreal and so many other cities to be asked about where they go their shoes.
The customer loyalty they have experienced has been phenomenal. They have clients who have purchased their high school graduation shoes from them, then came back for their wedding shoes. One of their customers was invited to an event that Queen Elizabeth was honoured at in Alberta in 2005. The Queen commented on her shoes so of course she was excited to share the news with the store. Beverly told that same story to the shoe company that made them and they used it in their presentation at buying markets for years.
The store has regular customers coming in from Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Great Strides Fine Shoes was born so Red Deer women didn’t have to travel to buy good shoes, but now women in those cities are now travelling to Red Deer!