JERRY WOLKOWITZ Bill Foster, owner of Feigenson’s Shoes, Keyport, is proud of selling “comfort shoes for the whole family.”
KEYPORT — There’s no business like the shoe business, and after 43 years in the business, Bill Foster knows that all too well.
Feigenson’s Shoes has been a Keyport staple since 1923, but as times change, so does the store. Feigenson’s is not your ordinary store. When you walk inside the West Front Street store, the first thing you notice is the soft lighting, the leather couches and the wall art. Then you notice the hundreds of different styles of shoes displayed on antique tables.
"We carry all types of better fitted and orthopedic shoes," Foster said. "That has always been our specialty. We carry comfort shoes for the whole family. It’s one-stop shopping here, and I’m proud of that. It’s a destination like none in the county.
"I will measure to fit every person’s foot who comes through the door, and if I don’t have their size, I can special order them. In men’s [widths], I carry shoes to [quadruple] E, and women’s widths to triple E. That’s why I am a destination, because I will find the shoes for you. You cannot get that service from the chains."
Feigenson’s Shoes was founded in 1923 by Philip Feigenson, who ran the store with his wife. When Feigenson died, his daughter, Evelyn Schwartz, and her husband, Hyman, ran the business. After Hyman died, Evelyn ran the business alone. Their three children did not want to be in the shoe business. Eventually, Foster and Evelyn worked together as partners for 10 years, beginning in 1988. When she decided to retire and move to Florida, Foster became the sole owner of the shoe store.
Foster originally became interested in the shoe business as a teen-ager. "I was working for Thom McCann’s in Middletown, and I wanted more hours, but they could not give me any more. So I came here and asked Mr. Feigenson for a chance. I was 16. For the first two months, he wouldn’t let me sell on the floor, and I was a stock boy. But gradually, I became a salesman, and here I am."
Foster said that originally he was not interested in shoes per se, but in making some money. "At that time it was hard to get a job. There were no part-time jobs at shopping centers because there were no shopping centers. I came here because I knew that I could get the part-time work, and I have been here ever since."
The shoe store has not been Foster’s only job. He retired years ago from a full-time job with JCP&L. "I took a middle management buyout. The job was full of pressure, and I did not want that anymore. Selling shoes was something that I knew and was good at. I was given the chance to become a partner, and I took it. With a shoe store, there is no stress. The only thing that you have to do is be nice to the customers."
"Come in, look, and try us out. If you find something that you like, that’s great. It’s been my pleasure to serve you. If you don’t find anything, tell your friends, and come back to see us again. By word of mouth you get customers, and by the way you treat them, you keep them. I believe that you need to let the customer choose what they want with no pressure. Buying shoes is supposed to be fun."
Besides having a loyal local clientele, Foster said that he also ships shoes to people who have moved out of the state and cannot purchase the shoes that they like or need where they are currently living. "We are an old-fashioned shoe store, and people relate to that and enjoy the experience. That’s all that I can ask for," he said.