The Red Shoes
As quoted from 'The Cape Breton Fiddler'
by Allister MacGillivary

“The very first tune I composed - it’s in Gordon MacQuarries book - was ‘The Red Shoes’,” said Dan Rory.

That particular piece was named for some homemade footgear crafted by Angus D. MacEachern of Glendale, Cape Breton.

The adventurous shoemaker had stained the shoes a bright crimson with Sherwin-Williams paint, And the incident was the inspiration for Dan R’s reel.

The Building
The building was purchased by Rob Willson in the Spring of 1998 from Joey Beaton. Extensive restoration began after Easter in April 1998. It was then sold to the Rankins in 2004 and is scheduled to reopen at the end of May 2005.

The Name
Johnny Gillis of North East Mabou, came up with the name 'Red Shoe' as a tribute to Cape Breton fiddler Dan R. MacDonald. After doing some research, former owner Rob Willson realized just how much Dan R. had contributed to the music and culture and decided it would be an appropriate name for the pub.

The Logo
The Logo wase created by Johnny Gillis of North East Mabou.