Longtime Evanston resident Elena Smith was addicted to fine designer shoes decades before Sarah Jessica Parker could even spell Manolo Blahnik.
Smith started buying boots and shoes in 1946. And when she wanted to buy the perfect pair of Italian imports, she didn’t have to stroll down Fifth Avenue to find them. She found them all in downtown Evanston.
Joseph’s Shoe Store in particular was a haven for dressy shoes, Smith recalled. The store near Hotel Orrington gave Smith a reason to shop. If ever she needed a new pair of Salvatore Ferragamo heels, Joseph’s had them in stock.
“Joseph’s – that was my second home!” Smith said. “It was a refined store. It was classy.”
The store Smith adored is now just part of her memory, but the city is still a paradise for shoe-lovers. Evanston Chamber of Commerce officials estimate there are about 15 shoe sellers in the city. But there’s one less since Foot Locker, 1705 Sherman Ave., suddenly closed last week. Foot Locker spokeswoman Amy Strathern cited “business decisions” as the reason for the closing. There are still two other Foot Locker franchises near Evanston – one in Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie and a freestanding store on 1731 West Howard Street.
Chamber of Commerce board member and longtime Evanston resident Dick Peach, said North Shore residents and Northwestern students keep the demand for shoes strong. He also cited Evanston’s climate, saying four seasons means customers buy more shoes more often.
“You’ve got the combination of middle class families – their kids go through shoes like water – and college (students),” Peach said.
Shoe stores form an important part of Evanston’s history. The history of those stores is changing. After 45 years, Edward’s Shoes closed its doors in July, only to re-emerge under a new name and new management.
Peter Hanig purchased the establishment and its neighboring store, The Little Chick, earlier this year. Hanig’s Footwear and The Little Chick, both at 1627 Sherman Ave., opened in August.
The Little Chick is one of the oldest businesses in Evanston. The children’s shoe store has been there for 95 years. Hanig said the new condominium developments will bring more customers to local shops, helping Evanston reclaim the shopping status it once had with popular retailers like Marshall Field’s.
“It used to be the place to shop,” Hanig said of Evanston. “We want it to be that place again.”
Mike Lembeck, owner of Williams Shoes-Walking Spirit, 710 Church St., remembers the old days with less enthusiasm. Lembeck spent summers working at Williams after his father bought the store in 1954. Back then Lembeck was a stockboy helping mature female customers find the right sizes. Lembeck recalls the biggest clients were older women, who were oftentimes rude.
“We’d have a lady with a walker, a lady in a wheelchair and a lady in a cane in here at the same time,” he said. ” It wasn’t too nice.”
Lembeck inherited the business from his father, and opened The Walking Spirit division in 1990 to sell a greater selection of men’s shoes.
“Some people from Washington State came here and said their friends told them ‘If you ever go to Evanston, you should come to our store’.”
Even after four decades, Lembeck said he still likes seeing people walk by his Church Street shop.
“I really enjoy people coming and looking in the window and saying, “Wow look at those, I gotta have those.”
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