Keeping a business running for 40 years is not an easy feat — even if you are masters of feet like Kelli and Tony Grady, owners of Grady’s Feet Essentials in downtown Peterborough.
Despite four decades of accurate trend predictions, successful rebrands, and developing a loyal customer base, the husband-and-wife team have also faced their share of challenges, including box store competitors and a global pandemic.
But the Gradys are proof that some foresight, adaptability, luck, and a little bit of fun can go a long way — 40 years and counting.
“We see challenges and face them head on,” Tony says. “We try to be ahead of the curve, see what’s coming, and position ourselves.”
Tony first began working in the business when he was in high school in 1986, two years after his father Ken Grady Sr. started Grady’s Orthopaedic Service, visiting customers directly in their homes to make custom-molded orthotics. The business moved to Hunter Street in 1985 under the new name Grady’s Shoes and Orthopaedic Services, before relocating to George Street the following year.
In 1997, Tony and Kelli purchased the business and pivoted to selling comfort brands, renaming the business to Tony Grady’s Shoe Tree. Facing stiff competition from several other shoe stores that were located downtown, the pair made a shrewd business decision to help differentiate them from their competitors.
“Retailers wouldn’t sell to us because they already had accounts in Peterborough,” says Kelli. “When we eventually got Birkenstock, we said, ‘Let’s be the biggest Birkenstock retailer in the area.’ That’s what we did and we continue to do — be the best we can be.”
Their stock continued to grow, but the store has always maintained their focus on shoes that are both comfortable and dependable. Today, in addition to top-notch customer service with 3D foot scanning, knowledgeable staff, and after-care services (including the $20 Blundstone TLC and the free Birkenstock cork reseal), Grady’s has dozens of high-quality brands including New Balance, Brooks, and Clark’s in addition to Birkenstock and Blundstone.
“We don’t buy disposable shoes — we buy shoes that are built to last,” Kelli says. “That’s important to us and important to our customers. We really feel very strongly that we don’t want to be part of that disposable culture, and we feel good about selling products that are good for people.”
When Kelli and Tony noticed fewer customers heading downtown in 2000, they decided to branch out to work out of Lansdowne Place Mall. They began in the walkway at the top of the escalators with one cart, later moving to the bottom of the escalator with two carts with a carpet in the middle along with a couple of chairs.
“It was like a little store,” Kelli recalls. “It gave us a lot more opportunity to introduce what we do and how we’re different. That really helped expand our following faster and build our database of loyal customers.”
Despite the success of the mall location, Lansdowne Place initially didn’t want to lease them an available storefront, favouring larger franchises over a local independent shop. When they were finally granted a lease for a storefront on the upper level of the mall in 2005, the Gradys realized how “restricting” it was to be in the mall after being so used to the control they had as small business owners.
The couple was also less than excited when they found out they had to make renovations. Despite being hesitant at first to make the changes, they hired a designer who Kelli says “brought us to the next level.”
“It was instrumental in helping us understand how the buyer’s mind works and how to set up a store in a way that was appealing to people and traffic flow,” Kelli explains. “That set us up to really grow.”
“We were the number one store per square foot in our category for years,” adds Tony.
With that success came the need for more inventory space and, in 2018, the couple purchased the building where Grady’s Feet Essentials lives today, at 231 King Street in downtown Peterborough. Though initially it was used for storage, the pandemic gave the Gradys the opportunity to try using the building as a retail space.
The pandemic also meant that Grady’s products were in high demand, with health care and essential workers needing Birkenstock polyurethane clogs which are easy to disinfect. Others in the community were spending more time walking and needed proper footwear from brands like New Balance and Brooks.
Much of the success of Grady’s Feet Essentials comes down to experience and forethought, like Tony’s insistence back in the 1990s that Blundstone would become very popular and the couple’s decision not to cancel orders at the start of the pandemic, thereby avoiding the repercussions of later supply chain shortages. However, a little bit of luck can also go a long way.
The convenient timing of getting an electric delivery vehicle six months before the pandemic hit and having launched an online store in January 2020 set up the Gradys up for success in adapting to COVID-19 lockdowns. Today, Grady’s Feet Essentials continues to offer free same-day local delivery while also shipping their products across the country.
“There’s a certain segment of the population that want to support local and they buy local,” Tony says. “But there’s also tremendous convenience that, if you need new shoes today, you can get them online. We’ve made it a priority to make sure it’s as easy to shop online as it is in the store.”
The Gradys are hoping this combination will help them overcome the next hurdle they are predicting — manufacturers selling directly to customers — because many of their customers prefer to shop local first while others appreciate the level of customer service they get at Grady’s Feet Essentials.
“For some people it’s the local aspect, knowing that you’re supporting a family and our shop dog Luna and our wonderful staff and that your money stays completely in the community,” says Tony. “For other people, it’s knowing they’re getting a proper fit, and that we’re trying to make it as convenient as possible for people to shop and to make it a pleasant experience.”
Along with their customers, Tony and Kelli are also big local supporters. Grady’s Feet Essentials sponsors both 4th Line Theatre and New Stages Theatre, in addition to the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival and Community Care Peterborough’s foot clinic. Tony is a volunteer with Junior Achievement, helping the next generation of entrepreneurs, and both Tony and Kelli are on the board of directors for the Rotary Club of Peterborough.
“There were things we did in 2019 that in some ways set us up to survive the pandemic, and one of them was joining Rotary, because that got us doing something that was separate from our business where we felt we were giving back and were part of a community of people,” Kelli says, noting how essential Rotary’s international work on eradicating polio over the past 35 years has been.
“I think people forget how bad it was for a long time with children getting paralyzed,” she points out. “It’s amazing that Rotary has focused their efforts there, and we’re very proud to be a part of that.”
@gradyshoes Flip Your Grips! Olang boots with built in grips are always ready for a little inclement weather. ?? ?? #olangboots #ptbocanada ? original sound – Grady’s Feet Essentials
Aside from four decades of running a successful local business and giving back to the community, the Gradys also know how to have a little bit of fun.
Tony’s “flip my grips” video in January, where he demonstrated the folding crampon system that come with Olang boots to increase traction in slippery conditions, went viral on TikTok with five million views. Then there’s all the other hilarious social media content, like the Jon Cena-inspired Instagram reel where Tony wears a muscle suit and sandals (and nothing else) to market the store’s Birkenstock line.
“We’ve been in business so long, so we’re always looking for new ways to keep it interesting and so that’s something that we can do to have fun,” Kelli says, noting that viewers should “be prepared” as more videos are coming soon.
Reflecting back on 40 years, Kelli and Tony note how meeting challenges head-on has only made their business stronger.
“There’s always going to be challenges and there were challenges we never could have foreseen, like the pandemic,” Kelli says. “But once you’ve handled certain challenges, when more come along you know you handle them too. That builds resilience and confidence, and I think that really made a difference.”
To shop in store, visit Grady’s Feet Essentials at 231 King Street, Peterborough or browse the full collection by shopping online at feetessentials.com. Follow Grady’s Feet Essentials on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Grady’s Feet Essentials. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
