• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition logo

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

Addressing our most pressing sustainability issues at the local Corvallis level and beyond

  • ABOUT US
    • Leadership
    • Partners
      • Partner Organizations
    • Vision, Mission, Goals
    • Solidarity
    • Action Plan
      • Our Action Planning Process
    • History
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Action Teams
      • Water
        • Bald Hill Project
        • Filtering Wetland
        • Mill Race
        • Lamprey Creek
        • Oak Creek
        • Dixon Creek
        • School Arboretums
        • 3 Waters Project
        • Creek Tours
        • Water Resources
      • Waste Prevention
        • Benton To Go
        • No Food Left Behind
        • Recycling Captain
        • ReUse Directories
        • Rx Bottle Reuse
        • Waste Resources
      • Transportation
        • Public Talks: Safe Streets
        • Electric Vehicles (EVs)
        • Get On Board!
        • Transportation Resources
      • Natural Areas
        • Natural Areas Celebration Week
        • Backyard Wildlife Connections
        • Neighborhood Roots
        • Natural Areas Resources
      • Land Use
        • Parking in Corvallis: A Community Conversation
        • Parking in Corvallis: Exploring Solutions
        • Land Use Resources
      • Housing
        • Sustainable Housing
        • Housing for Everyone
        • Housing Resources
      • Health & Human Services
        • Community Air Quality Monitoring
        • Green Cleaning Products
        • Health & Human Services Resources
      • Food
        • It’s On Us Corvallis
        • Farm to Table Month
        • Garden Resource Guide
        • Edible Garden Tours
        • Simply Seasonal Recipes
        • Gardening & Food Resources
      • Energy
        • Shift Together
        • Solarize Corvallis
          • Solarize Corvallis Participation
        • Home Energy Score
        • Residential Energy Efficiency
        • The Future of Natural Gas
        • Energy Resources
      • Education
        • Reducing Plastics in Our Schools
      • Economic Vitality
        • 3rd Thursday
        • Buy Local First
        • Saving Green
        • Business of the Week
        • Economic Vitality Resources
      • Community Inclusion
        • Equity Impact Assessment
        • Community Inclusion Resources
    • Coalition News & Events
      • E-Updates
    • Community Events
    • In the News
    • Coalition Gatherings
    • COVID-19 Resilience
      • Official COVID-19 Information
      • Action Team Resources
      • Partner Resources
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Join the Coalition
    • Volunteer
    • Calendar
    • Get Informed
  • DONATE
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Economic Vitality/Buy Local First/Business of the Week/Business of the Week: Footwise

Business of the Week: Footwise

Footwise

ADDRESS: 301 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333
PHONE NUMBER: 541-754-5021
WEBSITES:
www.footwise.com and www.birkenstockexpress.com
OWNERS: Dee Mooney and Peter Wendel
YEARS IN BUSINESS:
30 years this February
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:
40, which includes all four stores (Hood River, Portland, Eugene and, of course, Corvallis)
WHAT THEY SELL:
Shoes, shoe care, shoe repair, hats, handbags, and lots of socks!
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: For shoes that offer style combined with foot health and foot comfort

Treat your feet to a truly blissful experience with comfort and style while you enjoy interacting with the friendly employees. Footwise has been offering all of this for nearly 30 years. There is plenty to choose from at Footwise: slippers, boots, sandals, dress shoes, work shoes, outdoor shoes and boots, soft socks, and much more. They make it their business to help you into a comfortable fit.

Footwise is the premier retailer for Birkenstocks — not only in Corvallis, but in Portland, Eugene, and Hood River, as well.

When and why did you decide to start your business? It happens that the business started us. My partner, Peter Wendel, and I owned Stained Glass Mystery on 11th Street here in Corvallis many years ago. Some good friends owned the local Birkenstock store at the time, but they needed to sell. So we cleared out a storage closet next to our stained glass store, added a door buzzer, and became the new owners of Footwise. Our goal at that time was to sell a pair of Birkenstocks a day. Not long after, we were selling 10 pairs a day with demand for more increasing constantly. We started offering mail-order to assist with the demand for the variety of Birkenstock footwear that we sell. We then moved to our current location in 1991, and added our online presence in 1995.

The store offers many brands of stylish, comfortable shoes, as well as hats, handbags, and an extraordinary variety of socks.

Tell us more about your products/services, specialties and favorites? We sell shoes with a passion, and with passion for quality shoes. Birkenstocks are our heritage and remain a favorite. Margo Fraser, the founder of Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., who I respect greatly, inspired us to stay focused on shoes that are good for us and to work with shoe companies who are committed to sustainable business practices. Over the years, we have broadened our scope to offer many brands of shoes that meet the style and functional needs of the communities we serve. Birkenstock is still our biggest brand, especially on our website, Birkenstock Express. 

What does being featured as the Local Business of the Week mean to you? I am extremely honored to be recognized by CIBA and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, who dedicate their time and energy for these great goals.

What are some challenges you have faced, and what is the impact of independent businesses in Corvallis? We face many of the same challenges that any other business faces. Our desire for perfection and always having more things we can do to improve are personal challenges that we try to accomplish with a positive, collective approach. One major impact of local independent businesses on Corvallis is the number of people who we employ. Also, having a solid downtown has offered a center to this community which has been extremely beneficial. Selling online and bringing business to the community beyond the boundaries of the city limits has been a big plus, as well.

Scores of local non-profits and artists benefit every year from exposure in the Footwise display windows on Madison Avenue and 3rd Street.

What is your relationship to the community? What nonprofits/civic groups do you support? Our large display windows are a community asset. Forty-eight to 50 non-profits use the Madison Avenue side display every year. The art community has benefited from the Third Street side display case. When we first moved into this space, we realized that filling that much window space with shoes was going to be a big responsibility, and the idea of offering it up in this way came to us pretty quickly. Our first display was with the artist Louie Gizyn and her wonderful marionettes. We interspersed some of our Birkenstock shoes and away we went. We donate to local organizations throughout the area with an emphasis on supporting families, health, and the arts. I sit on the boards of the Downtown Corvallis Commission and the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation.

Please give us your one-sentence take-away message about your business. We at Footwise value our customers, and we continue to look for shoes that meet their needs for style and keep their feet healthy.

Life is better when your feet don’t hurt. — Anonymous

 (Interview and article by Debra Hascall – January 20, 2013)

Footwise is located at 301 SW Madison Avenue in Corvallis, Oregon.

Local Business of the Week is designed to help the community identify locally-owned independent businesses. The program is part of the Buy Local First campaign co-sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Community Independent Business Alliance (CIBA).The Local Business of the Week program is designed to help the Corvallis community identify our locally owned independent businesses by featuring one business each week. The program is part of the Buy Local First campaign co-sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Community Independent Business Alliance (CIBA).

January 20, 2013

Filed Under: Business of the Week, Buy Local First, Economic Vitality

Primary Sidebar

WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition is a network of partner organizations and individuals. Our mission is to promote an ecologically, socially, and economically healthy city and county.

Download our Solidarity Statement


2021 Annual Report

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Our partners represent a wide diversity of backgrounds and interests, and share a common desire for a sustainable community. Support them to support our overall mission.

ACTION TEAMS

See what our Action Teams are doing!

DONATE TO THE COALITION

DONATE

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Explore more

JOIN THE COALITION! SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES CONTACT US

Footer

Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

PO Box 2310
Corvallis, OR 97339

Copyright © 2023 · Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Our Privacy Policy