This story starts all the way in Aden, a port city on the Red Sea in Yemen. In 1932, a family who prided themselves on providing good footwear with great customer service began their shoe business. Today, Mila’s Fine Footwear has opened their first store in Toronto to take on their latest challenge 4 generations later.
Opening in May 2016, Mila’s on Front is the family’s first store in Toronto after having a store in Strathroy, Ontario since 1989. The business is now run by mother and son duo Rita Mehta Hussain and Vishal Hussain.
I got to first meet Vishal at a TIFF 2016 event in Toronto where he invited me to come and check out the new location next door to the St Lawrence Market on Front Street.
Upon my visit, I definitely learned that the team believes in empowering their clients with proper shoe size education as well as product history to ensure that each customer leaves with a pair of shoes that is right for their individual needs. They were very helpful in finding a new pair of shoes for myself.
“We’re very excited to bring Mila’s Fine Footwear to the vibrant and fashion-forward people of Toronto,” says owner, Vishal Hussain. “We look forward to giving shoppers what they crave most; an intimate, engaging, one-on-one customer service experience catered to their personal footwear needs.”
The store carries many high quality brands from North America and Europe. Names such as Birkenstock, Finn Comfort, Josef Seibel, Cloud and Gerry Weber, Fly London, Pikolinos and Ara can be found here.
“Our inventory is reflective of what we want to achieve in Toronto; which is educating our consumers that you can still lead busy lives with impeccable style,” says Hussain. “Europeans have been able to master style and comfort in an extraordinary way, which is why we stock some of the best European brands in footwear.”
To capture the experience, I made a little video of my trip to the store.
Visit Mila’s on Front’s facebook page for updates from the store.
