Perfect fit: Locally owned shoe stores offer personal service
Locally owned shoe stores offer more than footwear; they provide expertise.
From dealing with medical issues to helping with the proper fit to knowing a customer's lifestyle, these businesses help people walk away happy and comfortable.
Pittsburgh has many options from high-end designer boutiques, to practical footwear options to everything in between.
Family-owned, brick-and-mortar stores are a dying breed, says Jill Rubinstein, owner of Footloose, which recently moved to Walnut Street in Shadyside, not far from its original location. Her brother, Michael Rubinstein, owns Footloose in The Galleria of Mt. Lebanon. Both offer women's fashion-forward designer footwear.
“We are challenged by the Internet and shoe departments, such as Nord-strom,” says Jill Rubinstein, whose parents opened the store 28 years ago. “They carry the same names as we do and often for less money. I rely on the trust of my customers and that they like the ‘edited' version of choices in my store.”
That trust and loyalty of customers is so important, says Michael Rubinstein, whose store has been around for 25 years. It also helps to have quality employees who know customers and merchandise.
“We help you put together the whole package,” says Michael Rubinstein. “We don't just throw things your way. We get to know you. A personal touch goes a long way.”
As president of the National Shoe Retailers Association, based in Tucson, Ariz., Chuck Schuyler agrees.
“Independents spend a lot of time on the in-store experience,” Schuyler says. “They have also learned to use technology to their advantage by following trends, shopping the world and knowing about footwear. They are extremely sophisticated business people, and many of them are part of a strong family business — multi-generations.”
Independent footwear retailers account for $7.2 billion in sales annually, Schuyler says.
Chuck Gordon, owner of Gordon Shoes at the Waterfront, Homestead, is carrying on the family tradition of this third-generation, 131-year-old business.
“I think our clientele appreciates what we do,” says Gordon, whose store offers a variety of styles for women and men. “We are respected in the industry. Over time, a person's feet change, so it's important to have them measured.”
Being able to try shoes on is an advantage over Internet purchases, says Emy Mack Jamison, designer and owner of Emy Mack Collective, a high-end women's footwear boutique in Shadyside.
“We can also suggest styles you may not have considered,” Jamison says. “Sometimes when you see something online, you can't tell what it really looks like. Here, you can feel it and see it and put it on, all the while having someone to help you.”
That one-on-one shopping experience is the difference for patrons at Littles of Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill. Justin Sigal owns the store on Forbes Avenue with his dad, Joel, who previously owned J. Sigal shoes before purchasing Littles 30 years ago. Littles has been around for more than 100 years.
“We still believe in the atmosphere and the social aspect of shopping,” Justin Sigal says. “We know a lot of customers by name. People know me and my father and our many loyal employees.”
David Haffner is one of them.
“It's one big family here,” says Haffner, a sales associate who started as a stock boy 37 years ago at J. Sigal shoes. “We are dedicated to our craft. We care about fit, and we will suggest what might be better suited for you. The ‘Littles' things make the biggest difference to a customer, from a personal thank-you note to a handshake.”
He says he learned to take care of a customer from Joel Sigal, who says incredible service is what makes him most proud of his business.
“Times change and you have to keep re-inventing yourself,” Justin Sigal says. “It's important to shop local and not just local shoe stores … because if you don't then these stores will go away.”
Brian Frankel, buyer for Ten Toes, a women's shoe store in Shadyside owned by his uncle Ron Friedman since 1974, doesn't want to see any more local stores leave. His motto is to offer fashionable women's shoes at affordable prices.
“We specialize in making sure you are getting the right size,” Frankel says. “We provide a shoe education. We try to carry shoes you won't find other places. If you are having a bad day, a new pair of shoes can make it better. Shoes can change an attitude. We like to think of ourselves as shoe therapists.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7889 or jharrop@tribweb.com.
Shoes made to order
Hundreds of plaster of Paris molds of feet line the shelves at Best-Made Shoes in Bloomfield. These individual imprints are used to create custom-designed footwear.
“We do everything here from custom-made shoes to orthotics to shoes out of the box to shoe repair,” says Gene Rosen, who co-owns the store with his son, Marc. “It's a nice niche we have here. We can fix pretty much any shoe. We can make it better.”
The Rosen family has been in the shoe business since 1939, when Gene's dad, Charlie Rosen, opened Charlie's Shoe Store in Brockton, Mass.
In 1977, Gene Rosen opened the first full-service foot-care center in Bloomfield. Marc Rosen joined the company in 1995. They've been in their location on Liberty Avenue since 1999.
“If a shoe hurts, then it most likely doesn't fit right,” Marc Rosen says. “We can help take away that hurt by modifying the shoe. There are people with foot problems who have nowhere to go, but they can come here.”
The Rosens are both board certified and licensed pedorthists, which means they are trained to modify footwear and create corrective footwear or orthotics to help with lower limb problems.
“That's pretty unique,” Marc Rosen says. “We have the knowledge and experience to make, repair or modify shoes to take away your pain. Our family has been helping your family find comfort and relief for over 70 years.”
An impression is taken of both feet and cast in plaster of Paris to form a mold from which a shoe is created. The work is done on-site.
Best-Made accepts all insurance and can provide everything from a completely custom shoe to orthotics to lifts.
“You won't get that at a Nordstrom,” Gene Rosen says. “Whatever the problem is, we can make it better.”
A sign in the store reads: “If the shoe fits, buy it in every color.”
“It's a wonderful business, because we are helping people,” Gene Rosen says. “And when they walk out of the store, they are walking on the best-made shoes ever.”
