Tuesday, January 27, 2009

SHOE STORE MANAGER • SAN JOSE CA • 1969


Your host in June 1969. I was the manager of the 71 So. First Street, San Jose, CA Florsheim Mens' Shoe store. How do you like the two-tone wingtips? Was I a stylin' guy? I wish I had kept the outfit and shoes. They would make a great costume nowadays. I had a really good deal with the company. They would allow me to attend classes at San Jose State University during the day and another employee would cover for me. Selling shoes to men was so much easier than selling to women. Men generally bought the same style over and over. Why change something that felt comfortable and lasted long enough. Florsheim was a high end shoe. The line started with a basic shoe for $19.95 and went up to the Royal Wingtip dress shoe for $55.00! I sold alligator shoes, elephant skin shoes, ostrich shoes, and unborn calf shoes. I was proud to sell such fine quality shoes but it was hard to compete with Hardy Shoes just down the street. Everything in their store was $8.88. Bundled socks or shoes. The shoes were synthetic like plastic and had pointed toes to kill cockroaches when they were trapped in the corner of the room. The price was tough to compete with but the slogan was even more difficult. "Women really go for a man with a Hardy on"!

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Santa Cruz, CA, United States
I am a very shy introverted photographer. My psycho-therapist says that I may be able to come out of my shell almost any time now.