August fifth, 1981 was the day the doors opened on a then tiny shoe store, under the name of Kobler King. It was a cute little shop complete with a fish tank which my mother, Darlene Kunitz, figured would be an indispensable tool in impressing our would be clientele: – Children.

Much to the shock of our new little customers, measurements were taken (sometimes accompanied by tears!), and shoes were brought out. Each person was individually sized and fitted.

This first idea of service and selection is what has carried Kunitz Shoes’ through the decades and why it remains an outstanding shop today.  Those first 10 years were tough. Struggling through the problems that will always face a new business is no easy feat, especially while trying to forge ahead in a time honoured philosophy of service and quality above all else.

By 1991 the little shoe store had established a core of regular customers, who after the initial scare of a full service retail shop simply couldn’t shop anywhere else. The shop was in need of renovations (and a bigger fish tank!). With the renovations came 2 major steps in our history. The first was leaving behind the franchised name of Kiddie Kobbler in exchange for Kunitz Shoes. The second was the move into adult shoes.  The idea of a sit-down-and-let-me-fit you shoe shop seemed to be even more needed by grownups than it did for the kids. 7 eager years of shoe sales continued, establishing Kunitz Shoes as the place where you could come in, sit down, and have yourself fitted into quality shoe with no compromise to style.

In 1998 the Kunitz’s felt that it was time to expand the shop a bit in an effort to reflect the quality of their stock in its home. The fish moved into an even bigger tank and (perhaps because of that?), business soared.  With the third version of Kunitz Shoes, the philosophy of quality and service was ingrained.

In 2000, the Kunitz’s realized a goal that had been a dream since the beginning. They would move to a larger location outside of a mall. The store was built where it stands today dubbed “the cathedral of shoe shops” by one customer. The fish, again, were offered more space.

In early 2009 Kunitz Shoes once again pushed out its walls for a bit more elbow room. With the addition of a third more floor space on the southside, we are now better equipped to serve our customers. The stock space was also doubled- this lesser seen area of the store is the nerve center and heart of the operation and with a much needed expansion we were able to add 10 new lines of shoes. Our south side location now exceeds 5,000 square feet and boasts a fish tank that exceeds 100 gallons. Who knew fish, or shoes for that matter, needed so much space!

In September of 2011 (just in time for Kunitz Shoes’ 30th anniversary), the Kunitz family opened the doors on their new 3,600 square foot Jasper Avenue locations. In an effort to maintain unparalleled merchandise selection and quality service in an independently owned shoe shop, the second generation of Kunitz’s are taking the family name to new heights and ensuring “that really good shoe store” will be there to find you footwear for years to come. This time my sister and I are picking out the fish!

Okay. We’ve covered a lot of ground. Here’s the ending – for 3 decades Kunitz Shoes has been fitting people into the shoes that they need. It is not a shop where one often comes with the intentions of buying a certain shoe. Instead, we like to operate like a good bookshop should. First we’ll figure out what you need, and then we can start to suggest a good title. Every day we bear everything we have on our feet. Don’t you think they deserve better?

Everett Kunitz