Some milestones are counted in years, others in footsteps. For Laurie's Shoes, St. Louis's beloved family-owned footwear store, both numbers are impressive: 75 years in business and countless feet fitted along the way.
Founded in 1951 by Wally and Joan Waldman, together with Joan's father, Morris Goldman, Laurie's started with a simple idea: shoes should mean being fitted, not just sized. That approach, which includes a seasoned shoe-fitting expert using a Brannock device with an unwavering desire to measure the perfect fit, has never gone out of style, even as trends have changed over the years.
Laurie's has built its reputation on solving foot problems that regular shoe shopping just can't address. They offer sizes up to men's 18 and widths from AAA to EEEEEE. Their staff includes certified pedorthists who work with doctors, chiropractors, and podiatrists. That expertise carries emotional weight, too. Laurie's regularly fits children referred by Cardinal Glennon and Barnes-Jewish hospitals — kids taking some of their very first steps in a custom-fit pair of athletic shoes. “Our product mix reflects the wide range of clients who want both the latest styles and the most comfortable footwear,” says Sam.
The fit-first philosophy has stayed the same since 1951, but the style and scale have grown. Laurie's now carries over 60,000 pairs of shoes from more than 150 brands, all chosen with a global perspective. "Our biggest vendors come from the USA, France, Italy, Portugal, and Asia," Scott explains. The buying team travels to New York, Atlanta, California, and Las Vegas to find the latest trends and technologies before they reach the shelves. This fall, Laurie's will introduce new products from Robert Zur, a handwoven flat line from Florence, Italy, joining a lineup that includes Birkenstock, Hoka, On, Brooks, Dansko, Ecco, Mephisto, UGG, and New Balance.
Today, the family business has expanded into its third and fourth generations; siblings Patty and Scott Waldman now lead the company their parents built, along with Patty's son, Sam Baker, and Scott's son, Jacob Waldman, making Laurie's a rare four-generation family enterprise. "We truly value the fourth-generation aspect and family involvement," Scott says.
From the iconic retail store location on Manchester Road in Glendale, which has a stockroom that famously doubled as a bomb shelter, to the friendly staff welcoming everyone who enters, creating relationships with families in our community based on trust, one perfectly fitted pair at a time.
Laurie's Shoes is located at 9916 Manchester Road in Glendale. Call 314-961-1642 or visit lauriesshoes.com to schedule a pedorthist appointment.