Footlight Shoes To Close After Nearly 30 Years In Lenox Hill

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A longtime footwear retailer is closing up shop for good at the end of the month after almost 30 years of serving the feet of Lenox Hill.

Footlight Shoes, on Third Avenue near East 63rd Street, is holding a closing sale until its last day on June 30.

A manager behind the counter said the decision to close was because of a mix of causes, but mostly because of the change in retail behavior due to the pandemic and online shopping.

"People are working at home," said Louis, who said he's worked at the shop since it opened nearly 30 years ago. "They just don't dress up like they used to."

He said the shop could maybe stay open for another few years, but since their lease was up and sales were still in a pandemic slump, it made sense to close up shop on Third Avenue.

"There's less volume," Louis said, "the internet took a lot of the specialist business from us."

The store specialized in both domestic and international brands like Mephisto, Ecco, Ara, Dansko, Birkenstock and others, according to their website.

Their site also hints that the shop may find a new home elsewhere and will maintain their online store in the meantime.