New Lucky Shoes Location Opens April 13

When President John Luck weighed his options at the end of his Fairlawn Town Centre lease, leaving Fairlawn never crossed his mind. Instead, he agreed on moving from the , gaining 2,000 square feet and new brands in the process.

Luck and his father Tom Luck, Lucky Shoes owner, plan to host a low key grand opening on April 13. The new store will feature more clothing options, as well as new shoe brands, John Luck said.

"We're primarily a comfort shoes store," Luck said. "We'll have new brands of comfort shoes and we're trying to appeal to (teens) more with Vera Bradley and a new brand of shoe."

Luck said the buzz generated around the new store location has been amazing. Luck said what sets Lucky Shoes apart from other shoe stores is the people working there.

"Shoes aren't like any other accessory," Luck said. "They have to look good and feel good. Our people have experience and pay attention so there's a good result. And when you leave here, you look good and feel good. We don't let our customers make mistakes."

Tom Luck said his family’s flagship shoe store was one of the first retailers to open in what was called Fairlawn Plaza in 1955. The store is the only original tenant remaining.

The family’s retail history dates to 1919 when Luck’s grandfather, Joe, opened a department-style store in Firestone Park that operated until 1982. The family business expanded when Luck’s father, Milton, opened the first Lucky Shoes store in Fairlawn in 1955.

“When my father opened Lucky Shoes, he had 3,000 square feet. Between then and 1962, the store expanded within that location three times to 6,000 square feet,” Luck said. “In 1973 my father had some health issues. I was working for another company and I came back to help with the business. In 1976, moved out and we took over that space, which was 17,000 square feet – kind of where we are now.”

Today, the Fairlawn location serves as corporate headquarters for the 14 Northeast Ohio stores owned by Lucky Shoes. Three of those stores – in Fairlawn, Canton and Strongsville – sport the Lucky Shoes name. The company also owns two Stride Rite stores and nine New Balance stores.

*Freelancer Kasha Legeza contributed to this story.