Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but shoes come in at a close second. Opened in 1983 by Lori Andre, Lori’s Shoes, located at 824 W. Armitage Ave. (also with locations in Highland Park and Northfield), offers an extremely wide selection of high-fashion shoes, as well as jewelry, handbags, apparel and even Butter London nail polishes.
In addition to the store locations, Lori’s also offers an extensive website at lorisshoes.com. For those on tight college budgets, or just those with an addiction to social media, find Lori on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@lorisshoes).
In store, Lori’s holds a multitude of shoes: winter boots, military boots, cowboy boots, flats, heels, pumps, sandals, wedged sneakers and more. Some styles are studded with skulls, rhinestones or gold beads; others have a polished gold or silver toe; and some are adorned with bows. Then there are styles that are a little simpler, complementing any outfit.
Colors, too, vary greatly at Lori’s – leather pumps by Jeffrey Campbell are sold in neutral and pastel shades, while bright, tribal-patterned platforms, made in Portugal by Filipe Sousa, are also found, as well as leopard or snake print zip-up ankle booties by Sam Edelman. Regardless of taste, whether you’re the edgy, statement-making type, or maybe a little more conservative and classy, Lori’s has a variety of options just for you.
Aside from the impressive array of shoe styles, colors and brands, Lori also presents shoppers with European-made shoes. Shoes made in Spain by Andre Assous and French Sole are sold, in addition to the standard but always classic names such as Frye, Calvin Klein and Steve Madden. Other designers and brands spotted at Lori’s include Chinese Laundry, BCBGeneration, Vince Camuto, Modern Vice, Lucky Brand, Dolce Vita and Strategia – just to name a few.
The assortment of shoes in store can also be viewed and purchased online. With many photos and little blurbs to describe features and products, as well as tabs to find the ideal shoe, boot, brand, handbag, jewelry piece, accessory or clothing, Lori’s supplies chic Chicagoans with the complete stylish look.
The website also displays a section dedicated to a blog that features “Lori’s Favorites” and pieces written by guest editors. One section for trends focuses on current shoe fads, such as “smokin‘ slippers” and “uptown boho,” showing jewelry, shoes, apparel and accessories available for purchase. The other section features short articles about current fashion looks, featuring runway looks, street style and relevant styles currently sold at Lori’s.
Lori’s Instagram account also reflects the ultra fashionable looks from the store and the website. Most of the photos present Lori’s newest shoes, but several exhibit clothing, purses and jewelry. The most recent Instagram photos highlight looks for spring, including a photo collage of neon and polka dot flowers, posted after new spring footwear. The Twitter account sends links to the Facebook page and posts tweets regarding upcoming sales.
Lori’s shoes is a fantastic, local shop that sells a broad mixture of shoe styles, colors, types and designers. The collection of accessories, handbags and clothing all combine to create a huge mass of ways to express the trendy looks of Chicago women. Lori’s does especially well in satisfying those shoe cravings everyone has. After all, a girl can never have too many shoes.