Top Shoe Shops

The best shoe stores in Dallas to soothe your soles

When it comes to outfitting our feet, we take things seriously. Whether it's a casual stroll or a highfalutin affair, not just any shoe will do. Good thing we have a prime selection of shoe shops to keep our toes happy and our closets stocked.

Best High-fashion Haven: Forty Five Ten
This local house of style is where we turn for designer duds straight off the runways of New York, Paris and Milan — shoes included. Find the latest from Celine, Givenchy, Jason Wu, Lanvin, Maison Martin Margiela, Marni, Nicholas Kirkwood, Saint Laurent and more. Twice a year, Forty Five Ten has a big sale (up to 75 percent off), when we stock up on all those lust-worthy heels we’ve been coveting all season.

Best Custom Men’s Creations: Hadleigh’s
Hadleigh’s smoking slipper has become an iconic shoe among the dapperly dressed men of Dallas. Shop a selection of slippers, tasseled loafers and lace-up bluchers in the storefront at Highland Park Village. But if you’re looking for the best of the best, make an appointment to browse the bespoke selection upstairs. Customize leather, color and fit of the shoe and receive the finest in footwear in just four to six weeks.

Best Statement Stems: Gregory’s
Head-turning bold booties and sky-high platforms by Aperlai, Baldan, Gianmarco Lorenzi, Lori Blu, Prada and Sergio Rossi line the walls of this local gem, which has recently opened doors in Atlanta and Los Angeles. The owners have an eye for edge and cater to a celebrity clientele. If you’re looking for the latest shoe Beyonce just wore onstage, this is your spot. Also find a solid selection of standouts for men, from DSquared wingtip sneakers to Gucci studded loafers.

Best Classic Sophistication: Stanley Korshak
If you seek a dependably stylish selection and excellent customer service, then Korshak is your place. Guys find Martin Dingman suede boat moccasins, Gravati wingtip derby shoes, Too Boot leather slide sandals, Di Bianco tasseled loafers and Bontoni oxfords. Ladies shop designers such as Valentino, Fendi, Christian Louboutin, Oscar de la Renta, Jimmy Choo and Giuseppe Zanotti.

Best Style Savant: V.O.D.
Fashion’s in-the-know crowd can be seen sporting the latest by Isabel Marant, Acne, Inga Savits and Sophia Webster. V.O.D. is where we find those designers in Dallas. The Victory Park store is chock full of up-and-comers from Paris, London, New York and beyond, and we count on owners Jackie Bolin and Liz Thompson to clue us in when we haven’t a clue.

Best Bespoke Brogues: The Office of Angela Scott
California transplant Angela Scott’s flagship store in Victory Park houses her hip line of handcrafted footwear. Top-quality craftsmanship and premium materials are used to create the modern bench-made line of boots, oxfords, saddle shoes and brogues for men and women. Bonus: You don’t have to wait six weeks for these handmade beauties, because they are stocked in-store.

Best Affordable Luxury: Lou Lou
Owner Molly Thayer is as delightful as the stylish and affordable selection of shoes she carries in her Lovers Lane shop. From casual to formal, shop noteworthy lines like Calvin Klein, Sam Edelman, Charles David, Vince Camuto, Pelle Mode, Via Spiga and, coming this fall, Dee Keller.

Best Suburban Chic: Pumps
Don’t let the distance stop you from venturing to this treasure trove in McKinney. From $25 Brazilian flip-flops by Ipanema to $300 American handcrafted soles by Cydwoq, owner A’Lisa Adams is always on the hunt for the unique. With the selection changing seasonally, expect to find lines like Nicole, All Black, Corso Como, Antelope, Bed.Stu and Otbt.

Best Man à la Mode: Traffic LA
Fashion-daring gents, we suggest stepping into Traffic LA at The Joule in downtown Dallas. Fashion-forward kicks include Rick Owens, Valas, Damir Doma, Cinzia Araia, Android Hommes and Comme des Garcon Play. If you’re looking to impress a fashionable significant other, this place is a must-shop.

Best Vintage Cowboy Boots: Dolly Python
This is the not-so-best-kept-secret source for vintage cowboy boots. This East Dallas shop houses the best selection of worn-in Western waders we’ve ever seen. We scored our favorite pair for just $45. They receive new stock every week, so if you don’t find a pair the first time, try back again soon, y’all.

Best Custom Cowboy Boots: M.L. Leddy’s
Speaking of cowboy boots, there is only one place to go for new and custom. Family-owned M.L Leddy’s in Fort Worth has been hand-making customized boots since 1922, so they know a thing or two about how it’s done. In addition to true cowboy style, the staff here shows real Texas hospitality.

Sam Edelman sandal at Lou Lou.

Photo courtesy of Lou Lou

Sam Edelman sandal at Lou Lou.

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Sando News

Japanese-style 'sandos' pop-up finds permanent home in downtown Dallas

Sandoitchi

Sandos by Sandoitchi.

A popular sandwich pop-up has found permanent quarters in downtown Dallas: Sandoitchi, which serves Japanese "sandos" with creative fillings, will move into the space near the Joule at 1604 Main St., next to/under the Joule Hotel. It's the space that was previously occupied by La Tarte Tropezienne, the French bakery that closed in 2021.

Sandoitchi has already started to use the space for pop-up events, with a remodel in the works for later this year, says spokesman Keith Tran.

"We've had a great partnership with Headington Companies, who own the space, for more than a year, doing pop-ups at Midnight Rambler and at the Eye Ball," Tran says. "Their marketing team has been working to bring energy to their spaces and this gives us the benefit of having a permanent location."

Sandoitchi was founded in 2020, part of a wave of pandemic foodie pop-ups, but has persevered long past the pandemic both with its consistency and its ever-evolving menu of trademark sandos and other Japanese eats.

Their sandwiches are served on soft, rich milk bread, with fillings that include egg salad, Nashville-style hot chicken, pork katsu, and even Japanese wagyu topped with caviar, as well as dessert sandos filled with fruit and cream.

Their branding and packaging are sharp: The sandwiches are trimmed neatly, like finger sandwiches, and come in cute little boxes that display the ingredients winningly.

They also come with serious culinary firepower: Chef Stevie Nguyen worked at Uchi in both Dallas and Houston before heading to New York where he worked at Momofuku Ko, the two-Michelin-starred crown jewel in superstar chef David Chang's culinary empire. Nguyen shows off his techniques in a number of ways, including by using three different egg preparations to make his egg salad and coating the chicken with an umami-packed "wet shio koji solution."

They use social media skillfully and have won legions of fans, not just in Dallas but also at road-trip pop-ups to the West Coast and cities such as Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City.

They plan to continue doing pop-ups — for example, they have one this weekend in Orange County, California. But there's something to be said for having a home.

"Our model was built during and post-COVID, but with the return to normal, it's tougher to find spaces to host pop-ups," Tran says. "Our team includes high-end chefs with strong pedigrees who continue to evolve and remain creative, and we want to have a home base."

The location will definitely require some retrofitting; they'll start serious renovations at the end of the summer. In the interim, they're hosting pop-ups at the space, usually on weekends, over the next month or two.

"We've been experimenting, we recently tried doing breakfast — it's been a valuable opportunity to gather data on what does well," Tran says.

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Eric Sandler contributed to this story.

downtown openings

Top Shoe Shops

The best shoe stores in Dallas to soothe your soles

Sam Edelman sandal at Lou Lou.

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Japanese-style 'sandos' pop-up finds permanent home in downtown Dallas

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