Family-owned shoe store closing after almost 50 years in Logan Square

It’s the end of an era for a shoe store in Logan Square as the business is closing after almost 50 years.

The family that owns the store says they're being pushed out due to online competition. They say they've tried to keep up with online sales, even opening stores through eBay and Amazon.

It’s an ongoing fight they say they can't win.

For generations, the shoe store has occupied the same street corner on the city's Northwest Side. It’s a legacy in the neighborhood, built one shoe at a time, since the 1970s. 

“It's bittersweet,” said Monyca Price Flack, the manager. “I have so many fond memories.”

Price Flack began working with her father when she was a kid. Memories still so vivid, that now, months from the store's closure, she's emotional just talking about them. 

The reason for its closure, a familiar one: keeping up with online retailers is a David and Goliath battle too tough to win.

As she puts it, foot traffic has slowed due to changing neighborhood demographics.

“It used to be a bustling neighborhood,” she said. “We had two shoe stores here. There used to be a lot of street traffic.”

The one thing that hasn't changed is prices on par with the pulse of the community.

“The customer service and hospitality is something that's kept us coming back,” one shopper said. 

Owners may be losing the battle, but they say it’s the war that's been won. For now, the owners say the store will stay open for at least another couple months, giving them enough time to sell their remaining inventory.