Alternatives Shoe Outlet

The mix of shoes at this place, which started on north Clark Street in the late 1980s, has always been eclectic, with some stuff that seems contrived and, if not ugly, at least pointless, and other stuff that is gorgeous and classic. (I still miss the black suede cuban-​heeled maryjanes that I got at the Clark mothership 20+ years ago and wore out – which I mention because the saleswoman at the outlet told me that sometimes they have shoes for sale there, NOW, that are from the 1980s and 1990s and didn’t happen to sell back then. They just put them out along with the contemporary stuff.) Unless things have changed, the guy who owns the place is from a small town outside Siena and imports the merchandise from that part of Italy. My only fancy (but comfortable, minimalist, elegant, glovelike, creamy leather) summer sandals come from this place, and have saved my ass because they impart some gravitas to cheap black skirts from H&M.

Great shoes so, also great shoe outlet.

I didn’t know that the shoe outlet area was around this corner on Milwaukee. Hmm… if you can make it past the Aldo outlet, this place is worth checking out and setting some money aside before blowing it all in one place. There are plenty of cute shoes here, and it’s a hit or miss on the sizes that remain. The prices are very reasonable. I’m sure I’ll be stopping in again.

Alternatives’ main outpost on Michigan Ave., has cool and unusual shoes. They’re a little pricey, but they’re definitely not the shoes that everybody else in the world will be wearing.
And now they have an outlet! So basically you can get cool and unusual shoes, but for about half as much! Very cool.