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But he had an untapped artistic bent of his own, a love

of unusual shapes and lines and bold colours, and it was

only a matter of time before he started designing his own

shoes. You’ve seen them on Lady Miss Kier and Madonna,

on Alice Cooper, Jack White and Lady Gaga. You might

also have seen them on your lawyer, your doctor, your

dentist, on the person who teaches your kids music and

the barista who’s making cappuccino art at the hip new

joint in your neighbourhood.

Fluevogers are everywhere. They’re just not everyone.

John Fluevog is an astute businessman, but not a

conventional one. His journey to commercial success has

not been easy or straightforward. He has loved and lost,

hovered on the edge of bankruptcy more than once, and

even skirted the law to keep things afloat. Angels have

been there to help him when things have been particularly

hard. He believes it’s because his journey is not yet done,

that he has more to say, more to do.

Speaking of saying things. Many of his shoes come

with a message. The messages are the essence of John

Fluevog. They are a little bit corny, a whole lot heartfelt,

and a much-needed antidote to this most cynical of eras:

“Stay sharp!” “To love or to hate, the choice is yours.”

“Share your cool…increase your daily hugs.” “Reach for

the extraordinary.” “Don’t delay, Fluevog today.”

In conversation, John Fluevog unselfconsciously

scatters words like mystic, dreams, humanity, poems,

childlike, colour, shape, love, community and, above all,

faith and spirituality. He is a romantic who adores his

family and still gets starry-eyed when he remembers

a woman who walked into his store nearly five decades

ago. He wears his spirituality like a cozy cardigan, a

comforting layer that kept him warm when the world

was cold and now is just part of his everyday ensemble.

He has made money by quietly giving it away, supporting

people and causes that speak to his soul. His sole.

John Fluevog’s world—call it the Fluniverse, or maybe

Vogville—is unique. It has its own language. It has its

own international day (May 15—John thinks you should

celebrate with random acts of kindness). Its citizens come

from all walks of life, but none hews to the ordinary. It is

a world of happy colours, bold shapes and sensual lines.

It is a world where nothing is too ridiculous to try, where

comfort and wearability matter as much as how good

something looks. Goodness matters in the Fluniverse, and

kindness, and God, however you choose to define God.

John Fluevog began his journey fifty years ago when

he and Peter Fox opened a shoe store in a historic

Vancouver neighbourhood. And he’s just getting started.

This is his story.

— Joanne Sasvari, lifestyle journalist

“John and I started designing shoes the same year.

We both wanted to change the world in our own ways.

John designed shoes with a very strong point of view.

I respected John for his courage, his consistency,

his values, and always sticking to ‘his last.’ ”

ALDO BENSADOUN, FOUNDER, ALDO SHOES