Put Your Best Foot Forward With Ketch (Win!)

It’s fall and, naturally, our thoughts are turning to footwear! Based in Vancouver, Ketch is the newest chapter for the family-run footwear distributor, Global Shoe Connection. Born out of the desire to bring GSC’s brands to the masses, Ketch is a direct-to-consumer shoe retailer that provides exclusive access to a carefully curated selection of well-loved international brands like Django & Juliette, Miz Mooz and Vionic. Buying shoes online should be easy and fun and Ketch wants to help you put your best foot forward! We chatted with co-founder Keely Holt about Ketch, and all things fall/winter shoes! —Noa Nichol

Hello Keely! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I moved to Vancouver thinking I’d be here for maybe six months. Fifteen years later I’m still here and loving the West Coast. I inherited my affection for shoes from my mom and it’s just always been something I’ve been passionate about. Something about the joy it brings to people when they find a pair they just love. I’ve always felt most comfortable expressing my personal style, in my footwear.

When and why did you launch Ketch Shoes? What niche were you aiming to fill?

Ketch Shoes is still pretty new and just celebrated its one-year anniversary! I was lucky enough to join Global Shoe Connection, a seasoned Canadian shoe distribution business, in 2010 and concepted the idea of Ketch with director Donna Bernstein a few years ago. The idea really came about as a way to share all of our beautiful brands in one place online, together, as a story. Our brands are from all over the world and offer a uniqueness you can’t find just anywhere, and we wanted to share it.

What services/products do you currently offer, and what makes these unique?

In developing Ketch, we realized that one of our main strengths is that we absolutely love connecting people with the best footwear for them. Recognizing that it’s a really tough thing to buy online, we wanted to be able to share our knowledge of shoes and the brands we work with to help people find styles that will fit, look great and be comfortable. All of the brands we carry tend to be a combination of on-trend and comfortable and suit a really broad range of customers.

How does Ketch make shoe-shopping easy and FUN!?

Our goal is to be accessible to our customers throughout the shoe-buying journey. We encourage people to ask us all the questions they have on fit, while we ask them the important questions about their needs. We understand that all feet are unique and not all shoes fit the same. We want you to love your purchase and maybe learn a little something about shoes along the way. We also try to make things less stressful by offering free returns.

Among the brands available, what are some of the most popular?

That’s a tough question! We have such a wide array of styles, and each brand has its strengths, but I can say that Bueno is starting to lead the charge in popularity. Spring brings colourful soft strappy leather sandals and cushioned footbeds (we don’t skimp on comfort or style) and fall is all about rugged leathers and sturdy soles, always with a detail that sets them apart. Django + Juliette is an up-and-coming brand from Australia that has some really edgy styles we haven’t seen before. They like to mix it up with texture and pattern but in a way that’s not overwhelming.

What are some of the top styles/trends you’re seeing in footwear for fall?

We’re seeing a lot of chunky soles, whether it’s on loafers, booties or tall boots. And florals! Beautiful vintage floral prints on shoes and boots. Whatever the case, it’s all about comfort these days, shoes you can wear with just about anything and we’re 100 per cent here for it.

Among all the options on Ketch, what pair will you personally be rocking on repeat in the coming months?

Chelsea boots will never go out of style in my books, I just can’t have enough pairs. And this year it’s all about that chunky lug sole and I’m into it. My newest loves are my black patent Chelseas by Miz Mooz.

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Win! A $250 Ketch Shoes Voucher!

Congrats Bonnie S. of Chilliwack, B.C., who will receive a $250 voucher from Ketch Shoes! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.