Edmonton shoe shop 'ransacked' in brazen robbery, up to $30K stolen
An Edmonton shoe shop is estimating a loss of about $30,000 after a robbery late last week.
Shane Breau, the owner of the Shoe Shine Shack, said 30 pairs of shoes were taken Friday morning after three people smashed out his store window.
“Some of them were collectors items that customers brought in for us to sell,” Breau explained. “Some of these shoes they purchased for around $300 and with the way the resell market works, they’re selling them for around $600 to $700 depending on the shoe.”
Breau told CTV News Edmonton replacing the stolen shoes isn’t just the cost of retail, it’s actually the price of what they would go for on the market.
“They go up and down like the stock market,” he said.
But for others, the robbery also represents a loss in sentimental value.
“Sometimes you’re not able to put a price on that,” he said. “Some of these shoes may have belonged to their parents, who may be deceased.”
“A lot of these shoes are very valuable to the clients whether it’s just their shoes or they belong to somebody in their family. So we’re trying to put a dollar amount on these items and it’s quite difficult.”
Shane Breau, owner of the Shoe Shine Shack pulled up surveillance footage of the Friday morning robbery. He said about $30,000 in goods was stolen.
Breau has been in business for four years and said this is one of the “more stressful” things he’s ever had to deal with.
“I started this business from an idea to where we are today,” he told CTV News Edmonton.
“We’ve donated thousands of shoes to the homeless community here in Edmonton and it’s very unfortunate this has happened to us right before Christmas because we do need to replace all these shoes for our customers and I’m trying to do everything I can to keep my employees in work,” he said.
Most of the stolen shoes were from the front window display featuring Louis Vuitton and Yeezy’s. Breau said it was completely “ransacked.”
So far five pairs of the shoes have been returned, according to Breau. However, he said Edmontonians should be wary if they see high-end footwear without a box up for sale.
“Not many people are buying shoes over $500 without a box,” he said.
“If you do see any of these shoes, especially with tags on them and no box included, you can almost guarantee that these shoes are a stolen item.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Here's why experts don't think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai's downpour
Scientists say it's highly unlikely cloud seeding is responsible for the heavy rains that have caused flooding in the United Arab Emirates this month, and that climate change is the more likely culprit.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.