Shoe industry headlines show a tough market: Payless Shoes closed 2,100 locations in 2019, the Shoe City chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, and Foot Locker plans to shutter 400 stores by 2026. Along with brick-and-mortar locations, the stores also compete with online sales from giant retailers like Zappos and Amazon. A 2023 Statista report estimated that 35.4 percent of footwear sales were online in 2022. That percentage is projected to go to about 41 percent in 2027. In this sphere, shoe stores must find a way to stand out to survive. Perhaps that is why retail stores that mix shoe sales alongside a pedorthic practice are standing the test of time.
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