Mike Spresser knows shoes. His first job was in 1969, in Atlanta. But he's not a southern boy. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and lived in Georgia and Florida.

Mike met his wife, Arlynn, while he was in Florida. She was taking a semester off from WMU, but Michigan was still home, so they returned here to live. They have three daughters. Jodi is at Michigan State. Lyndsay plays volleyball at the University of Akron. Brianne is a senior at Portage Northern.

The girls got their love a sports from dad. Mike played football and basketball in high school.

Mike also likes to cook, although he admits that he hates cleaning up. He has a wide range of specialties, but really enjoys traditional foods. he boasts about his juicy turkey. And he has come up with a number of different recipes for stuffing. He's one of the few people who actually knows what to do with the spices most of us have in out kitchens!

He's the kind of guy who just seems to be everybody's friend. Halfway through the interview, Mike turned to a customer to say, "Hello, Wendy, enjoy your time off?" He remembers names. He remembers interests. Just an all-around nice guy.

Mike has been a member of the V&A staff for 17 years. He likes the range of styles, from casual to the dressier brands.

Chances are, if you are not quite sure what kind of shoe suits your personality, Mike can help you out. Stop in at the Southland store and find out for yourself!

His name is Jeff Seaton, but people call him "J.S." That's because he used to work with TWO other Jeff's and they had to come up with a way to identify who was who.

Jeff is originally from the Detroit area, specifically Grosse Point and Farmington. When he was 12, his family moved to the Flint area.

Like most V&A people, J.S. has a lot of experience in footwear. He worked at Phillips Shoes in Flint 20 years ago. Also like other V&A people, he has experience in many areas.

Jeff took off for California in 1980, and lived in San Diego for three years. He returned here to see his brother, Mike, who was working at Gilmore's.

Jeff has a number of interests. He likes to golf, for instance. He usually plays at Milham Park Golf Course, but for the past eight years, he and a group of his pals have also held their own private mid-May tournament to Boyne Mountain.

Don't be surprised if Jeff remembers your shoe size. He's a trivia buff. A self-proclaimed "Rock 'n' Roll Billboard Freak", he can tell you about 1200 of the 2000 all-time top 20. That's title, singer, year, and probably record label.

J.S. is also a sports trivia fan. Don't challenge him to compete for answers at Damon's. He knows all the statistics by heart.

Jeff has two children, Emmy and Kellen. His wife, Cinda, is also interested in style, as a hair dresser at Hair Cuts Plus.

Jeff has been with V&A for 18 years. He particularly likes that we have the flexibility to get styles and brands faster than the big chains. 

Ever wonder how we can always seem to have the right shoe in the right size for you? We have our own "wizard behind the curtain." It's Ed Sanders, who spends a lot of time at his computer, checking inventory, reviewing trends, looking for new styles from new shoe companies, and performing his special kind of magic.

"As V&A's Footwear Operations Manager, Ed is very organized and has developed systems to get the latest styles," Owner Bill Van Dis says. "He orders shoes online, so he must keep up-to-date with the latest technology," Bill added.

You can thank Ed for finding the newest shoes from World Blend, Mozo, Women's Van Eli, and Men's Kenneth Cole. Ed's system is also efficient at finding and getting your special orders quickly.

It sounds like Ed spends all of his time staring at his computer monitor, but you'll also find him on the sales floor, because he's an experienced shoe-fitter too. He tells about a woman from Switzerland who said her feet have always hurt. Ed have her a perfect fit, which relieved the pain. The woman was so pleased that she bought an entire closet-full of shoes before she went home.

Ed also takes about five weekend trips around the country aggressively researching new shoe brands and styles.

"The great thing about an independent shoe store is that we can act more quickly, and take greater chances with avant-garde styles. The major shoe chains can only stock what the general shoe-buying public will buy. If you're looking for something to express your unique personality, you'll have to go to a local store, like V&A," Ed says.

Originally from St. Joseph, Ed came to K'zoo to study business at WMU. He has been with V&A for 22 years. Ed and his wife Kathy, have three sons: Adam, 19; Brett, 15; and Kevin, 12. Ed has coached his sons' AYSO soccer teams for the past seven years. He also likes to take fishing trips to his in-law's home in Texas.

  Tom Morin works at the downtown store. He has been in the shoe business since 1966 and has gained a wealth of knowledge about shoes and feet. Here are a few of his insights:

Why the Right Shoe??
Ever wonder why shoe fitters ask you to try on the right shoe? Well, there's no great science involved. The simple answer according to Tom, is that shoes are packaged so that the right shoe is easier to remove. That's a good reason to try on both shoes. If the left shoe has never been out of the box, it may be stiffer. Try on both.

You Have to Fit Bigfoot
Did you know that your feet are different sizes? Since we're not built on an assembly line, our parts are unique. So it's not good to try on just one shoe. Try on both shoes, because you have to make sure that your bigger foot feels more comfortable.

We're Almost All Misfits
No wonder people are grouchy! Tom says a recent national survey found that 93% of us are wearing shoes that are not the correct size. As they say, if your feet hurt, you feel lousy all over. So have some patience with the crank in the next cubicle. Better yet, if someone goes "postal" on you, calmly tell them, "Go to V&A." We'll fix he problem, and you'll both live happily ever after.

Once Is Not Enough
You may wonder why we want to check your shoe size every time you come in. Well, Tom says it's because your feet continue to change size throughout your life. So you can't rely on the size you've always worn. To be sure that your shoes are right for you now, give us the few extra minutes to check your current size.

Stand Up for Good Fit
 When you think of going to a shoe store, you probably think of sitting down while the fitter sits on that funny little seat. But when we fit you, we make you stand up. Why is that? Tom says it's because you'll want to have shoes that are comfortable when you stand or walk. The shoe fitting tool measures your foot when your weight is forcing your foot to spread out. That's the only way to be sure you'll get some shoes you can stand.

Jokes Not Withstanding
Comedians have joked about women who try to fit into tiny shoes, no matter what it does to their feet. Steve Martin even wrote a book called Cruel Shoes, in which women demand to try on shoes that will torture them! Tom says the stereotype just isn't so. Women want shoes that are stylish and make their feet look good--but today's women also want and expect comfort.

Harder Than It Looks
Tom says shoe fitting is a skill that takes time. "It really takes two or three years before you feel sure that you're giving someone the right fit." Most of the people at V&A have decades of experience. Once you've had a great fit, you'll never want to put your feet in the hands of someone who may have been a burger-flipper last week!

We Can Fit 105
Most shoe stores can only handle a handful of foot sizes. That's fine if you're "average-average." But did you know that there are more than a HUNDRED shoe sizes available? V&A can fit women's sizes from 4 to 13, from triple-A to triple-E. And we have most of them in stock. Once you've had a perfect fit, "close" just won't be good enough ever again.