Transitions into independent shoe retail ownership come in many forms.

For some, like ELM Shoes and ELM Active in Greencastle, PA, the two retail formats are fifth-generation, family-owned businesses that began on wheels in 1943. For Lisa Gonzalez, the Oregon-born owner of Randy’s Shoes in Amarillo, TX, her shift into store co-ownership with her brother in 2022 commenced after years as both a retail executive and vendor-side sales representative. And Helen Reid was working as a Dansko sales representative before she made the move into the independent shoe retail segment in 2021 with The Walk Shop in Berkeley, CA.

In a “cross-country” check-in, we caught up with the owners of these three shops, all serving different demographics and located in unique communities from each other, to get a sense of how their businesses are doing in 2026, what they are seeing in the market, and more.

On the Run

ELM Active, Greencastle, PA

In South Central Pennsylvania, 35 miles from the state capital and near the Maryland border, it’s been 12 months since 83-year-old ELM Shoes broadened its reach by purchasing an adjacent storefront and opening the 4,000-sq.-ft. ELM Active shop. The objective was to reach more run-focused customers and provide more display space for products.

In addition to sit-and-fit expertise, ELM Active offers 3D foot scanning and a treadmill test run zone. The shop also offers run club events, demo days and more. It is a space where customers can find not just performance running footwear, but also activewear and accessories, with expert guidance every step of the way.  

“ELM Active has definitely driven our business very strongly,” offers owner Loren Martin, whose son Gavin manages the retail operation today and will eventually take over its ownership. “We had double-digit (year-on-year) sales increases up until April when revenues were down by single digits.”

Besides footwear, the ELM Active banner has realized solid sales success from running accessories such as nutrition products and running packs. On the shoe side, only one or two brands, mostly in the carbon-plated race day segment, were added to ELM Shoes’ overall merchandise mix. Men’s footwear sales have risen for ELM since the new storefront’s debut, and sales from men’s running apparel, surprisingly to the Martins, has outpaced growth in the women’s segment.

“Men don’t tend to be as much of shoppers as women,” commented Gavin Martin. “So, if they’re already in the store getting something and they like a shirt or certain running shorts, they are going to buy. Women sometimes want a larger selection to look through and shop through.”

The athletic apparel segment has provided the biggest challenge to ELM Active in its early months, which the father-son duo suggests is  an industrywide trend. Some in their client base struggle with the price points of premium products given they see lower-priced, less technical fare in banners such as TJMaxx, Marshalls, and Sierra Trading Post.

The Martins say in their market at least, there are two sets of customers—one that wants what he or she wants and is willing to pay a premium for it, and a second group that is always looking for that next deal and will wait for the next iteration of a running shoe to get 20 percent off the older version.

“It’s (ELM Active) definitely opened us up to a broader consumer base, which was looking for that more dedicated run shop, as well as offering more to our existing customers,” opined Gavin.

A Panhandle Attraction

Randy’s Shoes, Amarillo, TX

Lisa Gonzalez, a seasoned retail and brand veteran, has made numerous changes to Randy’s Shoes since acquiring the business in 2022 with her brother, Adam Henrich, after previously servicing the account as sales representative. The former Nordstrom exec, who opened the banner’s Houston location in 2003 before shifting to the vendor side with stints at Josef Seibel and San Antonio Shoemakers, moved swiftly to broaden the Amarillo, TX independent’s scope and reach.

Under prior ownership, a large part of Randy’s clientele skewed older and toward orthopedic footwear offerings. She quickly added 45 new brands to the mix and in Nov. 2024 moved the business to a larger 5,800-sq.ft. location. Subsequently, a second Randy’s location, 4,200-sq.-ft. in size, opened across town focused on the active and outdoor lifestyle segments with key offerings from Brooks, Oboz, Keen, and golf shoes. HOKA is the banner’s top brand, followed by Altra, Topo, 361, and newcomer Veloci, a running brand with a 10-millimeter drop started by a Rice University grad Tyler Strothman.

While the final quarter of 2025 was difficult for the retailer’s comfort sales, business has been ‘picking up’ in recent months from fashionable tennis shoes, traditional athletic brands, and the Gabor brand to name three.

Situated in the Texas panhandle more than 100 miles from the nearest metropolis of Lubbock, TX, Amarillo is described as a rugged, friendly Western town with a ranching culture, cowboy heritage, and many wide-open space.

Gonzalez, who says she has an ‘extremely loyal and supportive’ customer base, attracts customers from beyond the Lone Star state in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas, and has a sizeable, special-order business that counts more than 1,000 drop ships annually.

“We get a lot of customers who are driving through, maybe on their way to Santa Fe or Taos, that stop in for shoes,” offers Gonzalez, who adds that Randy’s offers complimentary gift wrapping, beer/wine in-store to customers, and a steady stream of trunk shows from key brands. Additionally, the 21-employee business provides customer access to a clothing/personal stylist and schedules special in-store events regularly.

“We’re always trying to make our customers feel relaxed,” she suggests, adding, “Whatever we can do to elevate that experience for the customer is important.”

In May, Randy’s Shoes launched a two-week event for customers to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the legendary U.S. highway that runs from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA and passes through Amarillo’s Sixth Street Historic District.

Hitting Reset

The Walk Shop, Berkeley, CA

Golden State native Helen Reid, who began her footwear retail career at 18 working for On Your Feet in New Mexico as both a manager and buyer, says in taking ownership of The Walk Shop in Berkeley, CA, in 2021, she also inherited “an incredible, math-based business” developed by previous owner Julian Kershaw and his father. She remembers, “I went and trained with him for six months before he turned over the business, to learn his methods.”

Recalls Reid of her ascension to store ownership at The Walk Shop, “Everything was bare bones. He (Kershaw) didn’t have very many employees, and his inventory was low. It was perfect timing to hit the ‘reset’ button.”

Fast forward five years to today. Reid’s original six hires remain with The Walk Shop, which first opened in 1978 in the North Shattuck business district known as the ‘Gourmet Ghetto.’ The area is known as the birthplace of California cuisine, the American farm-to-table movement, and the original Peet’s Coffee. While the 1,800-sq.-ft., sit-and-fit Walk Shop store is situated about a mile from the Cal-Berkeley campus, its customers are largely retired with a median age of approximately 65. She estimates that 70 percent of them need a wide width due to ailments such as hammer toes and bunions. The sales breakdown is about 65 percent women’s and 25 percent men’s, with the remaining 10 percent generated by accessories.

“Nothing in our store is displayed by brand. It’s all displayed by category,” Reid points out. “That was part of the business model that Julian set up and that I follow. People don’t come to us looking for specific brands. They come to us because they have a specific need.”

That customer demand at The Walk Shop could range from “looking good” on a European vacation to going on a light hiking adventure. Instagram is where Reid turns to when looking for new and interesting product since customers often request brands that they see on the platform, such as VIBae. The store enjoys a faithful clientele base of ‘regulars’ who either shop at the store when visiting the region or look to special, ship-to-home orders to avoid the market’s 10.25 percent sales tax.

Nestled in a largely liberal area of California, The Walk Shop has realized its share of ups and downs, seemingly tied to the political landscape in Washington, D.C.

“When (Pres.) Trump won, there was like a collective depression here, and my business dropped immediately,” recalls Reid. “And in 2025, my business was down 8 percent overall… But something happened and I can’t yet figure out what. December, January, February, March, and April each increased. But I’m off to a very slow May. So, it’s interesting to watch what happens.”

Year-to-date revenues have been dominated by casual styles (60%), followed by dress (16%), athletic (13%), and rounded out with accessories (11%). The store enjoys a ‘pretty decent’ event season every late spring (April-June) with weddings and the like, so dress items are stocked up.

“I honestly think what affected my business more than anything is we had a really mild winter and a really nice, warm spring,” offers Reid. “And every day that is really warm, my business is really good, and every day that is cold and dreary, my business is bad.”