For the multi-talented Delage family, shoes are a way of life which is being passed on to the next generation.
Carolle Delage was a shoe repairperson and seamstress in Gatineau in the early 1980s. She met another shoe repairperson, Luc Simard. When Luc was presented with the prospect of opening a shoe repair shop in Orléans, he was very pleased and leapt at the opportunity. He had also, in the meantime, apprenticed to become an orthotics technician.
And, Carolle and Luc had fallen in love, drawn together by their mutual interests.
When many of Luc’s customers asked for special shoes to accommodate their orthotics, Carolle saw an excellent opportunity for a complementary business and she opened Regional Shoes, right next door to Luc’s shoe repair shop on St. Joseph Boulevard.
That was over 14 years ago and just this year Regional Shoes – along with Luc’s shoe repair business Regional Shoe Repair – moved to a new, larger location, just across the street, to accommodate the growing inventory of fabulous footwear. You will likely recognize it by its round shape on the north side of St. Joseph Boulevard.
In the meantime, son Francis Delage, tried his hand at studying computer science. But, he was simply much more interested in shoes and he joined the team in 2006.