Store

You can take the girl out of France, but you'll never be able to pry away her sense of style. Muriel Monteiro, from the town of Vichy, opened the charming Lola Pop shoe store in Fremont with hopes of offering a collection different from any other in Seattle, and at the same time, providing women with practical and artful footwear. "I don't want to do what everyone else does," she says. And she doesn't.

You won't find shoes like these anywhere, unless, of course, you are shopping in Italy and France. The shoes here come in surprising colors and unexpected materials. A slipper gets a strap of turquoise shantung silk and a scarlet toe-hold; a brown oxford conforms to sleek feminine lines.

Monteiro makes it her mission to keep up the quality - she travels to Europe twice a year on buying trips, and wears each pair herself to make sure they are comfortable. It's a tough job, but most shoe aficionados would walk a mile or more in her moccasins (and slingbacks, Mary Janes, mules, sandals, boots, flats ... ) any day.

Tip: Get on the mailing list for sales to save on what are already reasonable prices.

By Vanessa McGrady
Special to NWsource