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Groovy
Category: Shopping Fashion Shoe Stores Shoe Stores [Edit]
323 Queen St WToronto, ON M5V 2A4
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Queen Street West, Downtown Core
(416) 595-1059
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
10 reviews for Groovy
10 reviews in English
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Review from Bill S.
3/22/2010
I had never heard of nor read about Groovy when I was fortunate enough to wander in to the store on my last trip to Toronto a few weeks ago. I have only recently, within the past 18 months, made sneakers my only real shoe choice for all things both business and personal, but in that short time I have become a total aficionado.
Groovy was a bit of a wet dream in shoe terms as the selection is not only exceptional, but presented in a small space which can easily overwhelm the senses, resulting in the kind of wonderful endorphin-intensive shopping experience I adore! Not only that, but as I have made Onitsuka Tiger's my brand of choice, supplemented by Puma and Converse, this place almost immediately rose to the top slot in my list of favorite shoe stores based on the assortment of OTs.
What else made the place rock? REALLY pleasant, helpful sales staff who kept their warm attitudes intact in the face of a constant rush of a widely varied group of customers - including many which would test the patience of Job. Available sizes of every shoe, on the sample displayed, was a great feature, making it important that you know your size in your favorite brands to make shopping more efficient. Hard-to-find international editions of OTs, especially for the Mexican market, made my global non-USA-catalog taste buds salivate. Though I was only focused on shoes that day, they seemed to have some very cool graphic tees, hoodies, and track suits. They also seemed to have a nice exchange policy (not worn, all purchase materials required), and their web site features their full inventory on sale online.
On the negative side, though they may be wheelchair accessible technically, it would be a very hard place to navigate in that mode, if not almost impossible. The prices where on the high side, but that may have been in comparison to US pricing. And finally, no G-Star or Diesel shoes to my knowledge.
In summary, though the place was tiny, if I compare to my shoe shopping in Melbourne OZ in Spring 2009, where I went to over 30-40 sneaker stores, almost every one better than anything in the US (Journeys comes closest in America), Groovy was by far the best in selection terms!Listed in: Bill's favorites around the…
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Review from Vivian C.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2012
My man and I went into Groovy and were interested in buying 6 pairs of Converse shoes. After looking around and finalizing our choices, I got the attention of a sales guy, who I was hoping could help me grab the right sizes. Instead of helping, he spent the next five minutes spouting how he's been there for many years and without asking about sizes or the particular shoes I was interested in, went on to tell me that what I wanted was impossible: I'd never be able to buy that many shoes for my party of 6. (Irritating, as they had multiple styles of shoes in the colour I wanted, and several of the sizes in each shoe I was looking for.) Instead of closing the sale, he was a barrier. Rather than argue or fight with him, we walked out, and we got them all directly from Converse online instead. A far easier and less maddening, painful experience.
A great example of anti-customer service. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2009
Their website, while outdated in design, has some neat features like dynamic stock updates. If only they could notify you when a certain size becomes available though- I think zappos has that feature.
They offer free shipping in Canada and one lazy day I decided to buy a pair of shoes thinking that I'd get them in a week but to my surprise I got a call six hours later saying that someone was on their way to drop the shoes off! I guess I'm only located about three clicks away so that was more cost effective for them.
In store they have a diverse selection of sneakers and "cool" shoes. The only thing that blows is the lack of sizes! I'm an 11 in Asics and I think there were only two or three out of the 50 pairs that were available in that size- unfortunately not in the style I was after though.
They'll special order sizes for you on stuff that is still available and offer you store credit for returns.
Prices are a tad on the high side but for convenience when it comes to Onitsuka Tiger it's worth it. Once you can figure out your sizes though it might be a better bet to head on to a US site and negotiate some kind of convoluted shipping strategy to a friend because there always seem to be sales on US sites. -
Review from nikki c.
Toronto, ON
1/6/2010
I discovered Groovy when I first began trolling around Queen West at the age of 14 or so. Being a suburbanite teen, Queen West--with it's ultra-hip indie shops--pretty much became my new playground. Nearly 10 years later Queen W. has become overrun with popular clothing chains, but Groovy still remains a total gem on this strip (it's also one of the only reasons I still trek out to this end of the city).
I don't care that there's barely enough space in the place to walk, and that it's usually tough to get someone to help you because they're busy. And I don't care that they sometimes don't have my size in the style that I want. And I didn't know they don't offer returns until reading the reviews here--no returns is usually a deal-breaker for me--and I don't even care about that. Why? Because I know I'd be hard-pressed to find cooler sneaks any place else.
Where else would I have found my black vans with the little white skulls on them? I got them when I was 17 and wore them until they literally fell apart several years later. And the all-black Converse All Stars I got when I needed all black shoes for my Catholic school uniform. The polka dot mary-janes, the blue high tops, the black velcro rocket dogs. . . but i digress.
Did I mention you can score some amazing deals there? Head toward the back of the store, ladies, and you can probably find some adorable flats for under $40.
Moral of this long nostalgic rambling? Groovy is an amazing shop and definitely worth your time and dollars. Thanks for the memories, Groovy! -
Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
9/9/2008
This place is jam-packed full of shoes, tons and tons of shoes. I heart shoes. I heart shoes long time. Prices are decent, and a good selection.
BUT - no refunds. And guess what? That precious little rule is only written on your receipt, and you are not told about this before your purchase. So, unless they had an amazing deal I probably won't buy here again - I don't appreciate the sketchy-ness of no refunds, and their policy of not telling you this unless you actually try to return something. Boourns to that I say!Listed in: Shoe-Tastic
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Review from Kat F.
5/21/2009
If you covet Onitsuka Tigers the way I covet Onitsuka Tigers, you'll fall in love with Groovy.
They have the best OT selection in the city - like, an entire floor-to-ceiling wall covered with Tigers in every colour imaginable. I bought my beloved Mexico 66s as well as another hot pink pair with lime green detailing.
If you walk past the massive Asics and Adidas displays you'll see tons of Doc Martens, Rocket Dog, PF Flyers and Converse shoes in the back, along with other Onitsuka Tigers/Asics models that are either older models or available in limited sizes. As far as I remember they don't sell Nikes here (exception is Converse).
The staff is a bit overwhelmed most times so service can be slow. Group your shoe size requests to minimize trips and expedite the process.
And don't forget - no refunds under any circumstances, and they are REAL sticklers about it. I bought a pair of shoes here once and ended up finding them cheaper three days later, so I wanted to return the unworn/still tagged first Groovy pair, but no. I ended up selling them a year later on Craigslist for double the price, so I guess I won in the end.Listed in: Not A Shopaholic
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Review from Damon K.
Toronto, ON
6/6/2009
Plain and simple, the folks at Groovy kick ass!! I had to find replacement Adidas shoes, that I got back in Atlanta, and no one else had them. So I figured I'd check out this little joint called Groovy. Whoomp, there they were!! My new Adidas replacements. And the price was not bad!
The guy at the register mentioned that there was no refunds but I didn't really give a hoot! If you know what you're looking for and it's a hard to find model refunds don't really matter! -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
9/25/2008
You never forget your first. My first was black, fit me like a glove, and drove my parents crazy. Also the three-hole variety. Before you go clicking the 'Inappropriate Content' button I'm talking about the first pair of Doc Marten's that I bought when I hit Toronto. Looking for something dressy yet slightly contravening of usual dress-wear, I settled on looking for a pair of Docs.
The internet being in its infancy, there was no Google, so I set about my searching task doing what you did in those days; Yellow Pages, word of mouth, or walking. Strolling through Queen Street West one night, I found Groovy on the south side. I noticed instantly that they had Docs. Hurdle one cleared. The staff there were (and still are upon subsequent visits) really friendly and knowledgeable and dressed way cooler that I was or ever hope to be. They also carried my size which was no mean feat.
I've noticed now that they have expanded their service to include web shopping right off their website. A quick browse has shown me that they still have my three-hole Docs that I bought years ago. Sniff. -
Review from Erin H.
Toronto, ON
8/26/2008 1 photo
I decided the other day that my sneaks were looking a little drab and dated so I decided it was about time to make my favorite acquisition -- NEW SHOES.
Toronto does offer an abundance of palais du pieds but those of us with particular tastes and needs need to be well in the know. And I am both in the know and know what I need. So on that particular day, I headed to Groovy to find trendy, but unique (well not entirely but close enough) sneakers, that were not overpriced and were just plain awesome.
Groovy is not the store to go to if real runners don't mean retro Adidas, turquoise Vans, or slick, form over function, Puma sling-backs. Save sport shoe shopping for Foot Locker down the street, Groovy does not even carry an athletic sock in the store. -
Review from Lynda W.
Toronto, ON
9/9/2008 2 photos
Ggggrrrroooovvyyy, I think I love you. Don't let this narrow little store fool you, it's packed wall to wall with shoes. And although I wouldn't go here to buy hiking boot or even tennis shoes, I'd buy some skateboarding shoes here. That is if I was coordinated enough to know how to skateboard... I tried, it ain't pretty.
Canadian winter is just around the corner, so it's a good time to buy your spring/summer shoes on sale. You can never go wrong with a pair of Chuckies, any time of year! Or so I say... This store is absolutely amazing and busy, so be prepared to mosh in a store of people and shoes!
