SoftMoc has the worst customer service: they never call back when VMs are left for them, BECAUSE…read moreone can only leave VMs, since they never answer the telephone at their shop in Yorkdale Shopping Mall.

One of a half dozen interchangeable low-to-midrange shoe stores, SoftMoc ("S&M") carries brands you…read moreknow like Converse, Doc Martens, Birkenstock and Blundstone, plus a whole bunch of random house-branded items you don't. It's a funny business model, since the in-house stuff generally copies the premium-branded stock, and sells for much less. The corollary is that you get what you pay for. In S&M's case, this often seems to mean poor quality, defect-ridden, off-sized slippers or sandals or snowboots. To make things more confusing, they carry limited runs of the expensive stuff, so they rarely have my size. And while they frequently advertise "sales", pricing rarely dips below those of its competitors, including mid-range department stores and specialty brands. Bright, colourful tags notwithstanding, you're just as likely to get those sweet low top cons at little burgundy or journeys for less. Service depends entirely on who's helping you. A trip to purchase, then exchange, then return a pair of ladies' Sorels for a lady who wears Sorels resulted in conflicting information coming from at least three employees, including a manager who got it wrong. The nicest person I dealt with was the person who finally refunded my money--she was also the only one who advised that Sorels come in several different lasts, so I didn't pick the wrong boots so much as I was only shown the wrong collection. Gah! Thankfully, my SO prefers her UGGS from a different store. I spare this location from a 1-2 star rating because it's Friday afternoon, and I did come across some decent customer service (even if it was too little too late to save a purchase) and because if you catch the right person at the right time, you can stack any professional or student discounts you may have on top of the already mediocre pricing. Maybe it's not a lot, but I'll put up with indifferent service and vaguely shady merchandising to save a few bucks. At S&M, "Value" is my safe word.

Okay. I admit it. My shoe collection would make Imelda Marcos blush. (If you don't know who that is…read morestop reading this now, you're far too young to be up this late.) I have shoes that are comfy but hideous. Shoes that can only be worn to walk to the car and back. Shoes that are so pretty I can't bear to part with them, even though I no longer wear them. Now, The Shoe Company is pretty mainstream, no Fluevogs or Manolos to be found. The reason I write this review is not for the selection of merchandise, but for the stellar service I got there. Buying some comfy, practical, yet still cute winter boots is a task all Canadian women dread. So you can imagine my joy when I found exactly what I was looking for . And you can also imagine my rage when the buttons started to fall off said boots after wearing them about 5 times. But, the lovely people at the Shoe Company did not fail me. Not only was I given a full refund (which I never expected, seeing as they had been worn) they found me another pair and had them shipped to me within less than a week of my returning the first pair. I was thoroughly impressed with every staff member I dealt with, and there were a lot of them as I had to visit the store 3 times. Friendly, polite staff without a sniff of laissez-faire attitude or snarkiness are hard to find in Toronto, but these guys have it in spades! Shoe Company, you had me at hello, but you keep me with your great service. And the shoes.

The Manager at this store is a moron and needs to learn better customer service skills…read more I bought a purse here the other day. The strap has two clips on each end that fasten around a metal ring on each side of the purse. It wasn't until I started using the purse the next day that I realized one of the clips was defective. It would close but was missing a spring designed to keep it closed. Not a big deal really but not an ideal way to carry a purse either. Anyway, I went back to this location with my sales receipt and explained the problem. The Manager went out on the floor and looked around for the same purse. When she couldn't find one on the floor, she suggested I bring the purse back when I wasn't using it and she would order me a new one. I said "this one is perfectly fine, all I need is a new strap, can't you simply order me a new strap from your supplier?". Her response was that they didn't have that kind of relationship with their supplier. She then asked if there was a Shoe Company store close to my home and she would call them to see if they had this purse in stock. I explained to her again that I didn't need a new purse, I only needed a replacement strap. She refused to budge. I then asked to speak to the Manager and she said "I am the Manager". I said "Too bad" and walked out of the store with my defective strap. The joke's on her though because later that same day, I went back to that location, found another purse by the same manufacturer (it wasn't the same style but the straps are exactly the same), swapped the straps out and left the store. If this so called "manager" had any customer service skills whatsoever, she would have done the same thing. Now the store is going to sell another purse with a defective strap and that unfortunate customer will have to deal with the same BS I did...

I was visiting from the states and mentioned to my friend I was thinking of getting Birkenstocks…read more She mentioned she had a great recommendation for a store with expertise in Birkenstock and that she could use a new pair herself, so we paid a visit to The First Step. Peter was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, not just about Birkenstocks but even about feet. He made a very helpful assessment about my feet and recommended both the size and style that would work for me, also helping me learn more about preventing some potential challenges with my toe alignment. While I didn't end up leaving with a pair, mainly because I was indecisive about the style and color, I did leave with much more knowledge about Birkenstock and what to consider about footwear that would be best for me. My friend and her partner both left with a pair and also got fantastic help to determine the right size and style. I was particularly impressed how much service they provide around repairs and care. It's very rare to find a business with such personal service but also a mind for sustainability and quality. Highly recommend The First Step!

This was my first purchase of Birkenstocks. My chiropodist recommended this store. I called, left a…read moremessage and received a call back within 10 minutes from Peter. I made an appointment. Well, this was quite a wonderful experience to be properly fitted with genuine good old fashioned service. No rush, no pressure sales just the best quality and service that I have ever experience purchasing footwear in 65 years. I will not go anywhere else.

Associate Reya was friendly and about business, from the time I got in the store. I think she could…read moresense that I wasn't sure what I wanted, but she got out her tape measure and set me up with a beautiful suit, adjusted it where it needed to be done, and didn't pressure me into something that I didn't want, just for the sake of a sale. She provided a proper fitting shirt, a belt and a tie, one that I'd never seen before, and also garnered several compliments. When picking up the suit after tailoring, it felt like it was meant for me, even though I was wearing sports socks and a terrible fitting shirt. Reya, thank you for your help, I enjoyed wearing the clothes you picked out, I'm looking forward to the next wedding in a couple weeks. I didn't even mind the cost because of the value of all of them. Good stuff!! See you again soon!

Tracy Trieu did her job as a closing advisor splendidly…read more With great recommendations and amazing client communication.

Amazing, friendly service. Must emphasize this as it really made our experience enjoyable. Happened…read moreto stop in as we were exploring and my daughters saw the Demonias. They tried on the shoes and they loved them. Price was about $150 CA a pair but seems cheaper than what we found online later.

Popped in while the person I was with looked at Demonias-- the person working (I'm assuming was…read moreThelma based on the Instagram account for this store) was very friendly, very kind, very nice to be in the store. Selection-- I'm not the shoe person here but the person I was with seemed to find a few things she liked! Worker talked a bit about prices, they seem like a pretty good deal but again, I don't know prices elsewhere. Very nice store to go in, lots of pictures on the wall. Overall a great time for someone who's not even that interested in shoes!

The staff is phenomenal and guided me well to be able to find just the right sneaker! Do check out…read moretheir unique collection

As a big time sneaker head I appreciate when stores keep their game on point, which also describes…read moregroovy. For starters, the staff here are all very friendly. I haven't had any issue with attitude or employees who are more interested in standing around chatting with coworkers here. I only have one thing I considered to be an issue with this store, which is lack of stock for sizes. However, after combing the city and internet for the models and size I am looking for and finding nothing, this has shown itself to be more of a sneaker issue, so groovy loses nothing for this. It's not their fault no one supplies Nike 11.5's! Kudos to them for trying. Did pick up some sweet New Balance 574's which may be the most comfortable kicks I've ever owned. Prices are in line with the retail standard, and they do have a sweet wall of clearance shoes that if they have your size, are all 50% off. Go check 'em out!

Very bad service! The salespeople at this location are rude and unhelpful. You have to wait in this…read morelong line for the cashier just to get a size and line up again in the same line if you want to checkout. Meanwhile, there were at least two salespeople walking around the store yelling at people to line up at checkout, as they're unable to get a size for you. Also, this one salesperson accused me of putting the shoes everywhere and even had the nerve to tell me to push the shoes back on the shelf myself. Kind of shocking - I had to inform her the other shoes on the floor were not mine and the other customers were trying them on instead. Even if they were mine, that's not my job to do as I don't work here. Gave up and didn't end up making a purchase.

I love SoftMoc. My closest location is this one at Markville Shopping Centre…read more For a while, I have been eyeing a pair of burgundy Vans. They were on sale at long last. I seized the moment and bought them online. What I do these days is have my order sent to this store. When my order is ready, I drop by the store and pick it up. I have been doing this for a number of years. Sure enough, my pair of sneakers were available for pickup the night before I was heading off to Montreal. I drove from work over to this store. I provided my name to an associate and waited by the front counter. Moments later, I got question to confirm my last name. Apparently, there was another order where our last names different by a letter. Anyway, I got my shoes and was excited. The woman asked whether I wanted to try them on. I have owned a pair of Vans in the past, so I was okay taking a pass. When you do pick up your order, you need to sign for it. I did that and brought them home. I tried them on. As expected, they fit like a glove and were comfortable. I love the colour and how lightweight they are. Staff here have always been friendly. They are competent. All is well. (270)