Amy Slosky lost her entire shoemaking studio in Vancouver’s Dayton Boots fire. Now, she’s working to rebuild her business and remake shoes lost in the blaze.
After years of struggling through the pandemic, Vancouver shoemaker Amy Slosky was finally regaining her footing—until a devastating fire on April 23 destroyed everything she had built. The blaze at the historic Dayton Boots building on East Hastings Street consumed her small studio, wiping out her business and equipment in minutes.
Flames Take Tools, Craft, and a Creative Dream
Slosky, who is also a bootmaker at Wohlford & Co., formerly Dayton Boots, had been renting space in the building to run her own label, Amy Slosky Handmade Shoes. The fire gutted the second floor, where she and other artisans worked.
Gone were her specialized tools, custom Italian leathers, and irreplaceable sewing machines—many of which she had collected since learning her craft in Florence. “You can’t just go to Home Depot to replace this stuff,” Slosky explained. “They’re niche tools that take years to find.”
She estimates the cost of the damage to be at least $42,000, and possibly double that if she’s forced to replace everything with new equipment.
From Renaissance Craft to Ruin
Slosky specializes in crafting traditional, handmade men’s shoes—like Oxfords and Derby loafers—emphasizing quality, timelessness, and repairability. “It’s not trend-based,” she said. “It’s about creating something people keep and love for years.”
During the pandemic, she had to pause her business due to falling demand for office and formal footwear. Just as orders began to pick up again, the fire shut her down entirely.
“Calling clients to tell them I couldn’t return the shoes they loved was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” Slosky said. “But I promised them there would be more beautiful shoes in their future.”
Salvaging History While Rebuilding Her Own
Though her own studio was lost, Slosky still has work at Wohlford & Co., where employees are now focused on salvaging what they can of the brand’s 75-year-old inventory stored in the building’s basement. “It’s emotionally difficult to be in the same space, trying to save someone else’s history when mine just went up in smoke,” she said.
Community Rallies Behind Her
A close friend has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Slosky rebuild. She hopes to use the donations to replace her equipment and recreate shoes lost in the fire for her loyal clients.
Meanwhile, Vancouver police continue to investigate the fire, which is being treated as suspicious. The blaze damaged three businesses: Wohlford & Co., The Indian Chef’s Kitchen, and Windsor Meats, all located on East Hastings Street.
Despite the ashes, Amy Slosky remains determined to rise, rebuild, and return to doing what she loves most—creating shoes that last a lifetime.
Stay tuned to Maple News Wire for more on local artisans and stories of resilience across Canada.
