Peterborough's Feet Stays Comfy As Grady’s Feet Essentials Celebrates 40 Years In Business

It was a huge milestone for Grady’s Feet Essentials as they celebrated their 40th anniversary in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their King Street store on Thursday morning.

Tony (left) and Kelli (second from left) cutting the ribbon as tony’s father Ken Grady Sr. (second from right) and employee Theresa (right) help in the ceremony. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“When we think of all the things we survived to get here, all the ups and downs, the drops in the economy and the pandemic, it's just so exciting to have reached this milestone,” said Kelli Grady of Grady’s Feet Essentials.

The municipal, provincial, and federal governments acknowledged the business’s milestone. Mayor Jeff Leal and representatives from MP Michelle Ferreri and MPP Dave Smith were present to congratulate the Gradys and present them with certificates of recognition.

In 1984, Ken Grady Sr. founded Grady’s Orthopedic Service from his home, crafting custom orthotics for local customers. He opened the first Grady’s Shoes storefront in downtown Peterborough a year later.

In 1986, Ken’s son Tony Grady started helping after school each day. He purchased the store with his wife, Kelli, in 1997 and was rebranded as Grady’s Feet Essentials. They opened a kiosk at Lansdowne Place Mall in 2000. This led to further expansion into an entire storefront on the mall’s upper level in 2005 and a major renovation with the help of a retail designer in 2011.

Kelli (left), Luna (front) and Tony (right) together in thie business. Luna is one of the store’s highlights and always hard at work with the Grady’s. Both Kelli and Tony are active members of the Rotary Club of Peterborough, each having been recognized as Rotarian of the Year. The store sponsors several local organizations, including the Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival, Community Care, 4th Line Theatre and New Stages Theatre. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

In 2018, they purchased the former Angela Mark boutique building at 231 King Street in Peterborough which is their current location. Until the pandemic hit, they were restoring the building and using it for storage and office space. The pandemic forced them to think creatively, establishing a curbside pickup location and a satellite store at King Street. By February 2022, Grady’s Feet Essentials had officially relocated from Lansdowne Place to their newly renovated King Street location.

“Now that we're in this beautiful building which to me is going to be our legacy,” explained Tony. “This building will stand many, many more years and we're quite proud of what we've done here.”

“We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of our loyal customers. We are always looking for ways to serve them better and to anticipate their needs,” said Kelli. “We have three or four generations of some families shopping with us, and we’re deeply grateful that they trust us with their footwear needs and recommend us to their family and friends.”

The store carries premium-brand footwear, including Birkenstock sandals and Blundstone boots. It also utilizes state-of-the-art technology, such as a 3D foot scanner, to ensure customers find their perfect fit.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Grady's Feet Essentials, The Peterborough Petes, The Promoter Book & More!

PTBOCanada is delighted to to be running StooNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

Grady’s Feet Essentials recently opened a second location at 231 King Street, at the corner of King & Aylmer. That is in addition to the Lansdowne Place store. The downtown location has Blundstone boots, Birkenstocks, shoe care products & a Birk/Blundstone repair shop. They are open Monday to Friday 9-5. They have also added free delivery within 30 minutes of Peterborough. Check it all out at feetessentials.com.

The Peterborough Petes, coming off the success of their Halloween care package deliveries, are planning an even bigger effort called Very Merry Christmas. The Petes organization will be expanding their route, and delivering over 3000 Christmas packages to Peterborough residents. If your business would like to get involved as a sponsor, get in touch today at gopetesgo.com.

The Promoter is out… the new book chronicles the life of local promoter Brian Edwards. Co-written by local author Ed Arnold, the book tells the stories, from being the youngest person ever to be granted a booking agency license in North America, to travelling the Country with Canadian entertainment icons like “Stompin” Tom Connors, Tommy Hunter, Frank Mills, Carole Baker, Red Green and many more. The Promoter is available at brianthepromoter.com or by calling 1-800-465-7829.

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