How small shoe stores compete with big box retailers

When walking our dog, we pass the New Balance and Red Wing Shoes stores in Geneva on occasion that are right next to each other at 1749 S. Randall Road. The same question pops into my mind each time: How have these small stores competed for so long with big box retailers that also sell shoes? So I asked the store managers.

"It's really a specialized thing here," said New Balance store manager Steve Miroballi. "Our team here is trained on fitting shoes, having a close relationship with the product and knowing what is proper."

The New Balance staff works closely with doctors in the area who send their patients for shoes that need to be fitted properly.

"That whole medical community connection is important for us," Miroballi said. "This is not just about pointing to and grabbing a shoe on the wall. It's much more involved than that."

Miroballi can't say for sure if the closing of nearby Sports Authority resulted in any sort of uptick for his business.

"I don't know what kind of footwear pull they had at Sports Authority, but we tend to carry the very current and top of the line stuff from New Balance," he said. "Also, there are not many shoe stores doing a sit-and-fit type of environment anymore."

The store has "a large spectrum of customers," from track and cross-country athletes to recreational or marathon runners, to those with orthopedic or support needs, Miroballi added.

Red Wing Shoes has been around since 1905, building a loyal customer base over that period of time.

The Geneva store is going on 11 years in business at the location next to New Balance, which has been there for about 20 years.

"I think the customer service here is the biggest thing," said Red Wing manager Roger Buchanan, noting his store also stresses specialized fittings.

The store offers hiking and recreational shoes, as well as work and hunting boots.

If anything, it is probably a plus that two small shoe stores operate right next to each other in terms of drawing potential customers.

When asked, Buchanan couldn't come up with anything negative about such an arrangement, saying it was no problem at all.

Nice visit, but:

This was going to be an item about how it is possible to go to the dark and empty Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles and still have an enjoyable time.

We did just that a couple of weeks ago when stopping at Von Maur for a final dose of Christmas decorations and for my wife to look at stuff prior to going to the Charlestowne movie theater to see "La La Land."

The movie was great, so you naturally felt pretty good leaving the mall that afternoon.

But my car got a flat tire out of the deal. There is no way to pinpoint exactly how or where the tire was punctured by something. But, after all, I was in a parking lot that might not be getting the attention it normally might if this were a vibrant shopping area.

Plus, some construction is taking place on the mall's outlots. As far as I know, they still use nails for building projects.

Regardless, go see "La La Land" if the opportunity presents itself.

Honor with a bridge:

It's certainly a nice touch to name a parking garage after her, but former St. Charles Mayor Sue Klinkhamer probably should have a bridge carrying her name.

About 25 years ago, Klinkhamer, whom the city recently honored by adding her name to the new parking garage on First Street, was an alderman who was not afraid to speak in favor of a new bridge close to downtown St. Charles.

Many elected officials got a lot of heat about where a third bridge should go before the Prairie Street bridge came about, and even afterward when it was realized another span was needed to make a difference on Main Street.

It was a political hot potato, and I wrote a column saying some area residents backing the bridge idea should run for aldermanic seats on the sole promise of getting another bridge in, or near, town.

It would be a way to find out what the majority of people really wanted, then they could leave office if some people were upset about losing property in the wake of such a project.

Klinkhamer was quick to say it wasn't a bad idea. She knew the column was partly tongue-in-cheek, but also realized how important the topic, which had been dragging for years, was to the welfare of the city.

It's still pretty crowded downtown during rush hour, but, ultimately, the Red Gate Road bridge probably helped a bit. But so did the widening of Main Street and the growing trend of more people working at home or shopping online.

Same-store syndrome:

So, did a new building really have to be built on the outlot of the Home Depot on Randall Road and Fabyan Parkway in Geneva to accommodate yet another mobile phone store and another mattress store?

Aren't there any empty retail spots nearby that would have worked? Or is it better to just leave old spots empty?

Just asking, because I'm sort of confused on that one.

dheun@sbcglobal.net