Vivi G. Shoes
Before youre actually captured by the covetable selection of footwear, youll be supremely charmed by how, well, pretty the store is: all creams and ivories, with large, cushy sofas and banquettes, and spaced-out shelves not crammed with inventory. Youll feel inspired to browse leisurely and try on thoughtfully, and heartened to buy that pair (oh, lets be serious those pairs) calling your name. And the selection? Pucci. Marc by Marc. Betsey Johnson. Kate Spade. Juicy. Rafe. Cancel your appointments. Youre gonna be here a while. See website for locations, 00000, vivigshoes.com.
Superior Shoe Repair
A daunting thing, handing over your fussiest footwear to this decidedly un-fussy shop. But you neednt worry: Theyll fix whatever the Philly pavement ruined (screw you, cobblestone!) and return your precious pumps (or what have you) the same day, with new heels and new soles, and polished to perfection. 138 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, .
Bus Stop Shoe Boutique
Not going to lie: We snapped up a pair of the bright green Peridot mules as soon as they launched this summer as part of designer and boutique owner Elena Brennan’s new 15th anniversary Bus Stop X Loud collection. The collab with All Black includes Brennan’s first toe-baring creations in fresh colors and styles that sing of summer — like a kicky pink topaz sandal with suede, gold recycled fish skin, and a pearl metallic patent heel. We painted our nails a magenta hue and sported them around Portugal and Spain in June. 727 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, busstopboutique.com.
Capa Shoe and Leather
They’ll fix your downtrodden soles and broken straps with the artisanship that has kept them in business since 1936. 1015 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, philadelphiacustomleather.com.
Tinys Bottle Shop
Your go-to source for cloudy California pet-nats, wild-fermented pinot noirs and glou-glou bottles is located in a former garage in Port Richmond. We never thought we’d be writing these words either, but hey — that’s 2019 for you. 3124 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, lunarinn.com/tinys-bottle-shop.
Butcher’s Sew Shop
Butcher’s Sew Shop. Photograph by Jared Gruenwald Wide-leg jumpsuits, flower pillows, messenger bags … The classes here teach kids and teens they can make anything they dream up. Additional location in Grad Hospital. 800 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
Charles Shoe Repair
Yes, yes, we’re all still mourning the loss of Superior Shoe Repair. But Charles is the perfect rebound: Reliably good repairs and a speedy turnaround time. Penn Center, 1800 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103, .
Rossi Shoe Service Inc.
Since the shuttering last winter of former mainstay (and longtime Best of Philly champ) Superior Shoe Repair, Philadelphians have been desperately searching for a new place to take their tired soles. The answer, everyone, is this Ardmore shop, where brothers Rick and Joe Rossi take exquisite care of your designer shoes and bags (new or vintage), make expert improvements, and use high-quality products. 20 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, PA 19003, rossishoeservice.net.
Ambler Skate Shop
Skate shops can be intimidating for parents and groms (that's young beginners, dude) unschooled in "SK8R" culture. But this Ambler outpost is about more than just selling sweet new decks. It sponsors events ranging from canned-food drives to instructionals for kids with special needs -- something anyone can roll with. 33 East Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA 19002, amblerskateshop.com.
Shop Sixty Five
Sidle up to the bar yes, an actual bar and take in what lies before you: a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall matrix of drool-worthy designer denim from Hudson, Diesel, True Religion and more. Try on as many styles as youd like, but default to the staff their specialty is eyeing you up and down (in the nicest way possible, of course) and finding the perfect fit. 53 West State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901, shopsixtyfive.com.
Blue Sole Shoes
The only things bolder than the bright orange walls of Steve Jamison’s boutique are the shoes on the shelves – washed alligator sneakers from Italian brand Dami, colorful kilim loafers by Res Ipsa, funky Jo Ghost boots, burnished blue leather Magnanni monk-straps. But don’t wait too long to make a purchase: Jamison only ever buys one size run-through of each pair, so when a shoe is gone, it’s gone. 1805 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, bluesoleshoes.com.
Machine Shop Boulangerie
Katie Lynch and Emily Riddell’s Bok Building- made croissants – which have a flaky outer crust and layers of buttery goodness inside – have set a new standard for Philly pastries. Find them at highbrow coffee shops throughout the city. 1901 S 9th St, Room 403, Philadelphia, PA 19147, machineshopphilly.com.
Little Shop of Chains
Oversize acrylic glasses chains made by Brewerytown designer Liz Barrella add flair to any kind of eyewear, whether prescription, sunglasses — maybe a monocle? Even better, Barrella has started making chains to hold your masks, a must-have accessory in this age of shifting mandates. etsy.com/shop/LittleShopofChainss.
Scrapple poutine at Shoo Fry
Poutine may have been invented by Canadians (Quebecois, really) as a way to soak up excess Molson between hockey games. But topping our northern neighbor’s single greatest culinary invention with Pennsylvania’s favorite regional meat is Philly’s goddamn genius. Multiple locations, shoofry.com.
Joe's Steaks and Soda Shop
These thick, massive shakes can cool you off on even the most humid nights. The secret? They partially freeze the milk before setting it to spin. 1 West Girard Avenue in Fishtown and 6030 Torresdale Avenue in Northeast Philly, joessteaks.com.