Business Profile: Sole Searching with Tiffany Bullock

By Ronald E. Childs

House of Sole

Who could ever have envisioned that the concept of selling high-end soles (i.e.: shoes) south of Madison St. could signal the beginnings of a lucrative entrepreneurial solo act? Well, consider the South Loop's very own fashionista of footwear, Tiffany Bullock, owner of the popular House of Sole - that's who.

Just a short bus ride down Michigan Avenue from its haughty competitors on the city's "Magnificent Mile," Ms. Bullock's unique shoe boutique, located at 1237 S. Michigan Ave., continues to garner thumbs-up, gold stars and praise with each fashion writer's review.

The House of Sole stocks hip-yet-wearable, hard-to-find brands - the best works of a variety of domestic and international designers, including Cydwoq (pronounced "sidewalk"), Corso Como, and Paco Gill. Selling an array of offerings that includes everything from flats to heels, boots and beyond, the store's hallmark is wearbility combined with fine materials and workmanship. Bullock believes people should be able to enjoy style without forsaking comfort, durability and quality.

Bullock calls her self-designed boutique "urban chic," and that's precisely what it is, concrete floor, fur rug, chandelier and all. House of Sole also boasts a limited selection of handmade jewelry, clothing and handbags.

So, given the tumult in the economy today, how does Bullock navigate the more conservative mindset of today's shopper? "It's just a matter of getting a client to know what [high quality] they're getting," Ms. Bullock tells the SLN Newsletter. "I did my research and found that the South Loop was one of the hottest zip codes in the nation."

Before tackling that research, Ms. Bullock, a Chicago native, ventured to Washington, D.C. to work as a supervisory board analyst with the Federal Reserve System. While there, with her future business plan in mind, Bullock worked part-time stints at Nordstrom's, and even McDonald's, because she had no retail experience and wanted to see for herself if she had the personality for the business. She had previously secured her educational foundation at Illinois State University, graduating with a B.S. in Finance while simultaneously serving as a sergeant in the Illinois Air National Guard.

Following her discharge from the Guard in 1994, Ms. Bullock went to work for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as a bank and managing examiner, earning an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Mgmt. in the process. The one constant throughout her impressive sojourn has been Bullock's love of shoes. Upon her return to Chicago in 2006, with all of the knowledge and expertise she'd gleaned in tow, House of Sole was born.

For the time-being, thankfully, the South Loop neighborhood is the beneficiary of Bullock's business acumen and sense of style, although the future is open for Bullock. "Right now I just want to be as stable as possible," she says. "If I do expand, I'd like to go up north, to maybe Uptown, Bucktown or Wicker Park."

House of Sole is an SLN Business Partner, so SLN members get regular discounts.