John Fluevog – originally a designer for Dr. Martens – left when he realized that he himself could better design a sole. He did, and his patented "angel sole" is at the center of John Fluevog's emphasis on "wearable" style.
The John Fluevog Street location is fun and ironic – it claims its shoes to be "Satan Resistant." Although his designs are predominantly of leather, his annual design of "advanced breathable non-leather material" comes with a tag, reading "no animals were harmed or even thought of negatively" in the production of the shoe. All designs have very limited runs.
John Fluevog's unofficial policy is to hire active artists and musicians to staff the store, and even has a number of artistic grants in place, available only to employees. His sensibilities have attracted artists and celebrities. For instance, Doc Hammer, co-creator of The Venture Brothers, was so taken with John Fluevog on Newbury Street that he hand-painted the store's sign in exchange for two pairs of shoes.
One of the oldest names in American footwear, Florsheim has sold men's shoes and accessories since 1892. Best known for their dress shoes, they also carry casual footwear, boots, and their specially-designed Comfortech and Imperial lines. The store, with its shiny sleek wingtips perfectly lining the displays, naturally effuses a sense of class and tradition, reflecting the company's dedication to high-quality craftsmanship, style, and comfort. This location is inside the Prudential Center.
Ares is a one-stop shop for most shoe-related needs; not only does it offer reasonably-priced repair services, but it has a wide selection of shoe accessories such as brushes, shoe polish, cleaning products, insoles, shoe trees, colored laces and materials for everything from athletic footwear to formal dress shoes. The shop is located at the basement level.