Online orders? Not at 65-year-old Carl's Shoes in Moorestown. It's all about 'sit and fit.'

Whether you spend many hours standing daily or only a few minutes in that position, the staff at 65-year-old Carl’s Shoes in Moorestown is determined to ensure your shoes fit and your feet are as comfortable as possible.

Tools include shoes in sizes 4 to 18 and widths of AA to EEEEEE, mechanisms that provide arch support, diabetic socks, foot pads and similar products.

The mission is fulfilled by following three fundamental, time-tested steps, said current owner Jeff Higman, who is the grandson of the store’s original owner Carl Barone.

"We have a salesperson who sits with you, measures your feet and helps you try the shoe on," Higman said.

Thus, those three steps have repeated themselves over.

And over.

And over again countless times for customers of all ages since 1958, when Barone first opened the eponymous store on West Main Street.

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Significant changes occurred to Carl’s Shoes in the 1980s, Higman told 70and73.com.

In 1982, Barone bought the property next door to the shop, enabling the store’s inventory to double, Higman explained.

That decade, "the business (began) … filling prescriptions for people," he continued. "We fill orthopedic prescriptions, diabetic shoes and custom orthotics for people with (foot) problems."

Carl's Shoes also fills a void that occurred when Stride Rite, a company whose website indicates it also believes in ensuring customers' shoes fit before the sale is made, left South Jersey, Higman said.

"They closed all their local stores a couple of years ago and then partnered with different retailers," he explained. "I believe we're the only shoe retailer in the area with a brand partner store (relationship) with them."

In an age where footwear can be bought at dollar stores, big-box stores and many other types of retail establishments, the hands-on service offered at Carl's Shoes rare in the area regarding footwear, he added.

To that end, customers of Carl's Shoes are strongly encouraged to make an appointment before showing up at the store.

"We'll never do an online order," he said. "Because when you do, you can't get that sit-and-fit experience online that we do."

Higman said he watched his grandfather stay true to the mission since he was 12, with the boy doing tasks like taking out the store's trash. Over the years, Higman's responsibilities grew. When Barone passed away last year, Higman said he became the store's owner.

Consequently, he took over a substantial part of ordering shoes for the store's customers (if they were not already in stock) and filling out the required paperwork so that those who need their footwear for doctor-prescribed medical reasons can receive reimbursement.  

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges to Carl's Shoes came in March 2005, when a fire gutted the store and its inventory, temporarily forcing the shop to close its location, Higman said. The headline in the Sunday Courier-Post noted: "Fire destroys Moorestown store. Blaze at Carl's Shoes impedes Main Street traffic nearly 6 hours."

Then, of course, there was the onset of the pandemic, which left many businesses struggling to redefine their business model.

Carl's Shoes was no exception, he said.

However, Carl's Shoes was "able to stay open because we do prescription work and thus were considered a necessity, just like a pharmacy," he said.

Higman added: "However, we couldn't conduct regular retail in the store…so we set everything up in the back parking lot (and) did people's prescription filling and shoe fittings out there."

Business is back to being conducted indoors.

Although Moorestown resident and founder Carl Barone died at 90 in November, there are no plans to close or sell the shop, Higman said.

"I intend to stay on at this location," Higman said.

"People are loyal and keep coming back," he explained. "We (also) have a lot of new customers who come in (based) on referral."

IF YOU GO:

Carl’s Shoes is at 27 W. Main St. in Moorestown. The store is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Carl’s Shoes is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and its website is www.carlsshoes.com.