A shopping experience good for the sole, Prince Edward Islanders have been rocking Proude’s Shoes footwear for six decades. Started by an experienced shoe salesman, the operation grew into a long-time family business that’s now owned by the second generation. Instead of planning for big changes, the family Proude-ly plans to grow by sticking to what they know best.

First step

Wayne Proude’s entire career centred around shoes. Fresh out of high school, at the young age of 17, Proude landed his first ever job selling shoes at Wright’s Shoe Company, an established shop in downtown Charlottown, P.E.I. He worked there for about five years until the owners of Ellis Brothers contacted him about managing the shoe department at their shopping centre in Sherwood. He took the job and soon after was asked if he’d like to buy the department. Up for the challenge, in May 1965, he opened Proude’s Shoes.

From the beginning, Proude’s was a family shoe store that carried everything from casual and dress shoes, sneakers, sandals and even work boots and footwear for healthcare workers. Instead of striving to be on the leading edge of fashion, this independent shoe store focuses on carrying comfortable footwear that served a purpose.

Gaining stride

Proude’s Shoes stayed in its initial spot in the Sherwood Business Centre for about a decade before it outgrew the small and narrow space. After two moves in the same building, it found its forever home and has been there ever since. For a short time in the 80s, Proude experimented with opening a second location closer to downtown Charlottetown. But it split his focus. So, he quickly decided to stick to his original shop and give it his full attention.

Keeping the business going has always been a family affair. Wayne’s wife, Judy, once did the bookkeeping, and their son Kevin has been around the shop since childhood. In 1988, Kevin joined the family business full-time and worked with his father hand-in-hand for decades.

In May 2023, Wayne Proude celebrated his 65-year career of selling shoes with retirement and officially handed the reins of Proude’s Shoes to the second generation. Kevin says it was a fluid transition that happened naturally over time as his father trusted him with more responsibility.

Walking Proude

Today, Proude’s Shoes is still operated by Kevin Proude in the Sherwood Business Centre on Prince Edward Island. Keeping things relatively the same, this includes what Kevin calls “sit and fit” service, where they ask about a customer’s needs, sit them down to measure their feet and then check the fit. Perhaps this is why the store has developed a loyal, multi-generational customer base throughout the past 60 years and is one of the few remaining independent shoe stores on the island.

When asked about the future, Proude says he has no major plans for growth: “We’re always looking to grow sales in the sense of continuing what we do. But I’m at a stage in life where I’m not looking to expand to other locations. I’m quite content with a single store.”

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