Give the Ladies What They Want

Shoes Fit for Plus-Sizes 10-14

Carmen and Vernardez Jones have a new store, Sole Inspirations, catering to women who long for pretty, well made shoes in sizes10-14.

By Victoria Scott

The Jones women were tired of shopping in the men's shoe department.

But the notion of starting a store for quality women's shoes in sizes 10 to 14 or 15 was born of Carmen Jones's particular frustration with finding shoes for her daughter's internship with an asset management company.

Sole Inspirations, 727 W. Howard St., was her response to finding "no nice shoes," says Ms. Jones.

The store opened Dec. 6, a year after Ms. Jones shared her business brainstorm with her husband, Vernardez.

For the Joneses - she, a longtime home daycare provider and he, a social service worker - the learning curve has been steep.

They that discovered "not that many manufacturers make" large-size women's shoes, says Ms. Jones. Attending the World Shoe Association show, the world's largest, in Las Vegas in August, they did find some Italian- and Brazilian-made shoes in plus sizes.

But footwear companies from those warm-weather countries left the Joneses with a few gaps in their stock.

"We couldn't find any snow boots," says Ms. Jones, so "now we need to focus on regional shows." Three of these are held in Chicago each year.

The couple made some discoveries about how shoes are made - and what makes some better than others. "There really is a difference in quality," says Ms. Jones. She shares a couple telltale signs of excellence: full, as opposed to partial, leather linings in boots; the absence of glue spills on soles or uppers; and, of course, the suppleness and patina of good leather.

But the Joneses experienced the downside of importation when orders promised in four to five weeks took twice that long because of customs delays.

Their projected fall opening had to wait. "I didn't want to open till the shoes came," says Ms. Jones. She worried that if their stock was low, customers would come once and not return.

The delays meant they opened "in the dead of winter," she says.

While they waited, the couple finished renovating the space they had chosen, one that is "open and airy," close to their Rogers Park home, on a busy thoroughfare, and in a Howard Street area "that seems like it's going to be revitalized soon," she says.

They were especially drawn to the two-block section that is home to a day spa and the upscale women's store Apple II. "There's a synergy here," says Mr. Jones.

Both drivers and pedestrians have taken notice of the store, says his wife, including some people who have doubled back for a second look. Their varied ages suit her fine.

"My target audience is really very broad," she says. Her goal is to cater to everyone from teens to senior citizens.

Since her daughter "has worn a size 12 since she was 12," she says she has special empathy for the size-13 teenager who had to wear flip-flops to her prom for lack of an alternative.

But she is as thrilled to be able to satisfy the 68-year-old who wanted "something jazzy for New Year's Eve," she says - and the women with large calves who are delighted with the fit of the cowboy boots.

"We get a lot of positive feedback," she smiles.

In the spare but colorful space the Joneses say they furnished mostly from Ikea, dress and cowboy boots, dark-colored ballet flats and winter pumps line up beside the store's best-selling shoe, Walking Elites. Unlike the imports, these cushioned Mary Janes can be special-ordered from St. Louis, says Ms. Jones, and usually arrive in just a few days.

Spring footwear will go on display next month. Ms. Jones says patent leather is hot ("and not just black," she says), as are wedge sandals and ballet flats.

But, she says, do not look for stiletto heels at Sole Inspirations. "We don't do anything over three inches," she says. High heels double the weight on the balls of the feet and strain the back. "I hope to help women understand how important it is to take care of your feet," she continues, and "to encourage women to put on shoes that are comfortable and breathe."

Sole Inspirations has purses - including fashionable oversized and metallic styles - as well as passport cases, wallets and other small leather goods. They also carry some jewelry, wraps and scarves, and, with an eye to spring, sunglasses.

Mr. Jones, still employed nights at his social service job, is at work on an Internet site. But he and his wife envision it as an adjunct to their bricks-and-mortar store, where women can be fitted, find a brand they like, and later re-order online.

The Joneses feel positive about launching the business. "We have a lot of confidence," says Carmen Jones. "We think we're filling a need."

Foundation Announces 'root2fruit' Grants

Four Evanston organizations have been chosen to participate in the fifth year of the Evanston Community Foundation's "root2fruit" grants initiative, funded by Omaha-based Mammel Foundation: Center for Independent Futures, Citizens Lighthouse Community Land Trust, The Recyclery, and Shorefront.

Additionally, six local organizations that became part of the root2fruit program in 2005 and 2006 will again receive grants in 2007: Evanston Community Development Corporation, Fellowship of Afro-American Men (F.A.A.M.), Junior Wildkits, Evanston Community Defender, The Lilac Tree, and Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. The total of Evanston Community Foundation root2fruitinitiative for 2007 is $100,000.

The new 2007 grantees represent a range of innovative responses to Evanston's needs. The Center for Independent Futures works to help adults with disabilities and their families create sustainable solutions through community living options, as well as through lifelong planning and education. Citizens Lighthouse Community Land Trust is working to build a permanent base for affordable housing in Evanston. Founded less than two years ago, the Recyclery encourages bicycle transportation by repairing used bikes and donating them to collaborating organizations and their clients. Shorefront is the resource center for African-American history in Evanston and the North Shore.

Root2fruit is designed to support grassroots organizations with funding and with human and technical support as they build their capacity to become increasingly effective and sustainable. Each grantee is eligible for a total of three years of funding. Since its first grants in 2003, the Evanston Community foundation's "root2fruit" grants initiative has invested $410,000 in Evanston.

New Community Center to Offer Beaucoup Programs

By Bill Smith

Long-standing plans to revive the corner of Church and Dodge are beginning to take shape with construction now well underway to convert an abandoned store into a performing arts center called Boocoo, located at 1823 Church St. The project is also providing an opportunity for nearly a dozen young neighborhood residents to learn construction trade skills.

Boocoo - an American variant spelling of the French word beaucoup, meaning "much" or "a lot" that became popular slang during the Vietnam War era - is also planned to offer exercise programs, a recording studio and a café. It is scheduled to open about May 1.

Lonnie Wilson, a former Family Focus staff member and a leader of Community Builders of Evanston, says the trainees are mostly high school dropouts who had been unemployed or working dead-end, low-wage jobs before starting the program. Some, he says, had also been involved in illegal activities.
Delroy Mangal, who ran his own general contracting business before signing on with Community Builders to be its manager, says the young men started working with the group just a year ago, mostly doing demolition work.

"Gradually they built up different skill sets, and we figured out which trades the different members of the team seemed to have the most aptitude for, and most liked working on," Mr. Mangal says.

"Now that they've built up their skills, he added, "Some are at the point of doing formal studying for exams that would let them become licensed in the trades.

"Depending on the particular trade, the time line will be different, before they'd be able to start businesses on their own. For example, you have to have worked seven years as a journeyman before you can be licensed as a plumber," he added.

Boocoo and Community Builders are both operations of the Enterprise Development Foundation. The foundation, headquartered in Evanston, is headed by Daniel Cheifetz, who says the overall goal is to provide workforce development and life skills acquisition opportunities for young people in a wide variety of fields.

Ron Fleckman, president of Cyrus Homes, says that he and Cyrus Homes chairman Walter Kihm "started out very skeptical or cynical about Daniel's ideas, but we've have been very much won over as we've visited the work sites over time and have seen how successful they've been at teaching the skills." Cyrus has already hired Community Builders for some projects at Church Street Village, and Mr. Fleckman says, they plan to do more as the project progresses.

Mr. Cheifetz says there has long been concern that Evanston residents lose out on the opportunity to work on construction projects in town, but that the Community Builders project demonstrates that residents can acquire the necessary skills and be hired to do the work.

First Night Bike

Midam Kim's First Night Evanston celebration continued into February, when she officially received a white bicycle adorned with pink ribbon loops that are the logo for breast cancer research.

The bike is a three-speed Felt Promise cruiser, said Chris Mailing, one of the owners of Turin Bike Shop, 1027 Davis St. He said Felt developed the bike in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Turin donated the bike as the grand prize in the First Night raffle, part of the City's New Year's Eve celebration. Ms. Kim, who has lived in Evanston for about a year and a half, came from Korea to study for her doctorate in linguistics at Northwestern University. She said she was "a little bored with Evanston at first" and First Night helped change her mind. "[Evanston] is a small town but it has a lot to offer," she said and added that the bicycle "feels like a prize or gift from Evanston."

Christian Sato, who works at Turin, said the bicycle appears to be white but has a "pink under-glow that's really gorgeous."

Smiling, Ms. Kim said her friends have dubbed her prize "the Barbie bike."

Mary Beth Roth, a member of the First Night board, said the 2006 First Night celebration was very successful. "We were thrilled, especially considering the [Chicago] Bears' football game was that night," she said. Elizabeth Brasher, president of the First Night Evanston board, added, "All the comments we heard were that people had a good time."