Tradehome Shoes opening Friday in Spokane Valley Mall

A Cottage Grove, Minnesota-based footwear chain is expanding to the Pacific Northwest, with the region’s first location coming to Spokane Valley.

Tradehome Shoes is opening a 2,100-square-foot retail store Friday at 14700 E. Indiana Ave., Suite 1028, in the Spokane Valley Mall.

The store will feature a variety of sneakers, sandals and boots by premium brands, including Birkenstock, Ecco, Hoka and Pikolinos, according to a company statement.

Tradehome Shoes was founded in 1921 by Al Mains and Cecil Ginsberg. The two friends recognized their primary competition was from mail-order stores such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, so they named the footwear chain Trade at Home to encourage customers to shop local. That name was later shorted to Tradehome.

In 1999, nine employees of Tradehome Shoes purchased the footwear chain.

The company – now 100% employee-owned – has grown to more than 100 retail stores in 23 states.

In addition to the Spokane Valley location, Tradehome Shoes operates stores in Missoula as well as in Boise, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls in Idaho.