Shoe Fly Celebrates Grand Opening of Two New Retail Locations in Pittsburgh

 

Mark Wagner, Shoe Fly’s Retail Operations Manager, said that Shoe Fly carries a wide variety of top-rated shoe brands, including Birkenstock, Dansko, Aetrex, Ecco, Hoka, Brooks and New Balance. The friendly staff at Shoe Fly help customers find the perfect fit with state-of-the-art measurement tools, including digital foot scans using iStep technology. These unique scans measure arch height, take note of pressure points in the feet, and record foot alignment. The company’s professional six-step shoe-fitting method—complemented by trained, knowledgeable staff, has helped distinguish Shoe Fly within the retail shoe market.  

 

“We’re selling the experience of coming to Shoe Fly as much as we are selling shoes,”

Wagner said. “It’s a real process with us. We seat our customers. We get them measured.

We listen to them—we want to know what’s going on. Are they having any foot pain? Any back

or hip pain? Our shoe analysis machine can detect how your weight is distributed on your feet.

Shoe Fly’s customer service is something that you don’t get anywhere else.”

 

Wagner said he’s thrilled to be involved in Shoe Fly’s expansion into two bustling shopping areas in Steel City. “I think it’s a reflection of all the hard work of the people at Shoe Fly who were there well before me,” he said. “It’s a questionable, unknown time for retail . . . but we’re not just holding on and trying to stay in business. Rather, we’re always thinking about how to improve things for our customers and how we can grow.”

 

Todd Lewis, President of Shoe Fly, and Greg Wagner, Shoe Fly’s Purchasing Vice-President and Board Chairman, have seen to that mission, leading the expansion of these family-owned and operated stores since the two became business partners in the early 1990s. Prior to that, Lewis had served as Morris Levine’s protégé at Morris Levine Family Shoe Store in Tyrone, and Greg had worked for his father, fourth-generation Wagner Quality Shoes store owner Myron “Buzz” Wagner Jr. Shoe Fly, Inc. officially came into existence in 1993 when Todd Lewis, Greg Wagner, George Gripp, and Charlie Biddle purchased Gilbert Levy’s The Shoe Fly in State College. They have been expanding the business ever since. This summer, for instance, Shoe Fly acquired Gordon Shoes upon Chuck Gordon’s retirement.

 

Wagner said he is grateful that his grandfather, Myron “Buzz” Wagner Jr., is alive to see the shoe stores continue to grow and thrive. “Buzz” Wagner started working at Wagner Quality Shoes when he was ten years old, and he joined the business in full capacity after he had returned from serving his country in the Korean War.

 

“My grandpa is 93, and he still cares about the store as much as he did when he was 23,” Wagner said. “Seeing my grandpa’s passion for the shoe business to this day is just so cool. To not only be around since 1854, but to keep it in the family . . . what are the odds of that happening? It’s such a blessing.”

 

For more information about Shoe Fly’s new retail locations, or to schedule a free foot evaluation at any of their convenient locations, visit their official website at www.shoeflystores.com.

 

Shoe Fly is a retail footwear chain, with roots dating back to 1854. Headquartered in Tyrone, PA, Shoe Fly operates eleven stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Shoe Fly provides outstanding customer service and a personalized fit through a friendly, knowledgeable staff, offering a wide range of stylish, comfortable shoes from trusted brands.

 

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