It's an age-old belief that all women love shoes, and from what this reporter witnessed (and experienced) at Army & Navy's annual shoe sale, the old adage rings true.
The Army & Navy shoe sale is a tradition throughout the Canadian retailer's chain of stores, and New Westminster is no exception. The sale kicked off at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, but by 7:30 a.m. there was already a line of about 70 people - most rocking back and forth on their heels, anxiously awaiting the opening of the doors.
Queensborough resident Jessica Cabrera was at the front of the line, a spot she claimed at 5:30 a.m., two and a half hours before the store opened.
"It's kind of a ritual," she says. "Even if I probably can't stand on the super high heels, I'll still come for the sake of coming because it's just something I do every year."
Cabrera has been coming to the shoe sale at the Army & Navy in New West for about 12 years. She says she typically spends two hours in the store, sorting through the aisles looking for styles that catch her eye.
"I usually get pumps, regular stuff you know that you could wear for dressy," she says. "Now that I'm a little older I probably won't look at shoes that are so high."
The sale is marketed as a designer shoe sale, but there is a variety of shoes on sale. At the New West location, there were fashion heels and pumps, flats, business shoes and even some casual slip-ons - enough selection to impress even Carrie Bradshaw.
The sale is like swimming in a shark tank, Cabrera says. The more experienced shoppers spend their time circling around the shoes until they spot a pair they like and then -watch out.
"At the beginning, everybody is a friend. We've all chatted and gotten to know each other but once that door opens, all bets are off," Cabrera says laughing.
New Westminster resident Bonnie Talarico was fourth in line and showed up at 6:30 a.m. She was glad to have such a prime spot after a disappointing experience last year.
"This is my second year but my shoe size is small. I'm a five-and-a-half and they don't get very many," she says.
Last year Talarico came to the sale later in the day and already her size had been picked over to the point there wasn't anything she liked left.
Behind Talarico was another pair of shoppers who brought a boyfriend to help guard their "stash" while they searched the racks.
"I love shoes. The more the better," says Crissy Gollner. "Just come early and grab as many shoes as you can, and then hide in a corner and try them all on, and then you just go again."
On top of advising shoppers to keep their finds hidden, Gollner's sister Cassy recommended bringing a man to watch over your shoes while you shop. Cassy's boyfriend, Dylan, was the girls guard this year as well as babysitter for Gollner's new addition.
New Westminster Army & Navy store manager Michelle Chiu says this year's crowd, which was about 70 to 80 people, is comparable to past years. Chiu even recognized a few of the shoppers, including Cabrera, as repeat customers to the annual event.
"It's an exciting thing. It's the biggest event in our company," she says.
Once the doors open at 8 a.m., the employees spend the day stocking and restocking the shelves. Chiu says it takes a lot of preparation and a lot of staff to keep everything flowing smoothly.
