Transcript:

A Northern Michigan store is encouraging you to cast your Louboutins and Manolos aside.

a Vintage Sole in Interlochen has one of the largest collections of vintage shoes anywhere — and many, have never even been worn.

Jack O'Malley takes us sole searching in tonight's Jack's Journal.

Shoes, everywhere you look there are shoes, but these aren't just ordinary shoes. They are antiques. 50, 60, 70 years old! Most never have seen a human foot, so where did they come from?

Jim and Carol Brouwer, former shoe store family, were looking to buy a store to ease into retirement. When they went to see a potential buy —  they stumbled on what might be the largest find of antique footwear ever found.

"We went down in the basement and there were thousands and thousands of shoes. That she wasn't gonna do anything with.," said Carol. 

They were in excellent shape, in original boxes. Dusty, but preserved!

"The shoes from the 40's and 50's are absolutely drop dead gorgeous!"

Their daughter Libby, a fashion and design student, said "Hey, those will be hot!" so they bought everything they had from 1938 to about 1975.

But how come these shoes never got sold or were gotten rid of? It seems the original owner had a system.

"He put shoes on sale and at the end of the year, if they didn't sell he just moved them to the basement. And they sat there," explained Carol. 

With web sales — a Vintage Sole has women's and some men's shoes available to a world market. Some buy for the style, or comfort or the need for a pair of vintage Go-go boots!

"50 years ago her mom wouldn't buy them for her," Jim said. "Because they didn't have the money for that. She was so excited to find a pair she didn't care if they fit. She just wanted a pair of Go-go boots!"

This isn't your normal shoe store, but that's what makes a Vintage Sole so much fun.