Heart of Orléans BIA

Regional: A “shoe-in” for style, comfort, and health

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.

“Our whole family loves Orléans,” states Francis. “It is like a small city within a large city and it has a community feel where people support each other. We love the opportunity to give our business a personal touch and get to know our customers.”

He continues, “Over 90% of our customers wear orthotics and 80% are women. They are very loyal to us and are interested in taking care of a very important, yet sometimes overlooked, part of the body. Their feet. If your feet don’t feel good, you probably don’t either.”

That is where Regional comes in. They stock only the very best shoes that will accommodate orthotics. The shoes provide good support and are very well-made. Their stock comes from many places around the world but you won’t find most of the brands they carry down at the mall. They are beautifully crafted and comfortable shoes designed to last a long time and provide a stylish, comfortable, healthy, and happy experience for your feet.

They have all types of shoes available: running shoes, casual shoes, dress shoes, and even high heels (though never over 2” high). And, all sizes. It’s the perfect place to come if you have small, large, narrow, or wide feet. Or, average feet. They carry women’s shoes in sizes 3 – 13 and men’s in sizes 6 – 18. 

“Our product is much too customized to be available to order online,” adds Francis. “Customers come in for a custom fitting. But you don’t have to have orthotics to wear our shoes. You just have to want comfort and to treat your feet well.”