I having been wearing Simple Shoes for almost 5 years. I like them: they’re comfortable, simple (yes), and well styled. But they’re awfully difficult to purchase. I bought my first pair at a store on Barrington that immediately thereafter went out of business, and my second pair, at great expense of duty, from Mortt’s in New Hampshire. My current pair is wearing out and I need to replace them. I stopped by Mortt’s last week, but they no longer carry the brand. So I visited the Simple Shoes website to find another dealer.

Why why why, I ask.

The website is useless: it’s drenched with pretty brand-building graphics and some sort of movie review system that appears to have little to do with shoes. But if you click on “Dealer Locator” you get a pop-up box telling you this functionality is coming soon.

Would it not make sense to focus the corporate resources on telling people where to buy the shoes first and then worry about the mystical incantations and flying logos?

Happily and despite all this I was able to find a telephone number for their Canadian distributor and they pointed me to Proude’s, J. Redshoes and Sporting Intentions as Charlottetown dealers, so perhaps I’ll have access to a ready supply. Stay tuned.