If you grew up anywhere near the border of Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, you know the name. It’s a landmark. For decades, Reyers Shoes store Sharon PA wasn't just a place to buy loafers; it was a pilgrimage. People would pack into station wagons and later SUVs, driving from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or even Canada just to stand in a massive room filled with more leather and rubber than a tire factory. It was huge. Honestly, the scale of the place was hard to wrap your head around if you were used to the tiny, cramped foot lockers at the local mall.
The story of Reyers is basically the story of American retail's golden age, its struggle, and its weirdly resilient survival. Founded way back in 1886 by John Reyer, the shop started as a humble cobbler’s space. It stayed in the family for ages before the Jubelirer family took the reins and turned it into a global phenomenon. At one point, Footwear News actually named it the best shoe store in the world. That’s not marketing fluff. They had the inventory to back it up. We’re talking over 100,000 pairs of shoes in stock at any given moment. If you had a foot shaped like a pizza box or a pencil, Reyers had your size.
The Move That Changed Everything for Reyers Shoes Store Sharon PA
For years, Reyers sat proudly in downtown Sharon. It was the anchor. When you thought of downtown, you thought of the big sign and the rows upon rows of boxes. But the retail landscape in 2021 was a different beast than it was in 1991. The pandemic hit everyone hard, but it hit legacy brick-and-mortar stores with massive footprints especially deep.
In a move that shocked a lot of locals, the store packed up and headed to the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio. It was the end of an era for Sharon, Pennsylvania. But business is business. The move allowed the "World’s Largest Shoe Store" to downsize slightly while staying accessible to the loyal fan base that had been shopping there for three generations. Even though the physical address changed, the soul of Reyers shoes store Sharon PA—that specific brand of obsessive customer service—tried to make the jump across the state line.
Does it feel the same in a mall? Maybe not to the purists who remember the creaky floors of the old downtown spot. But the logic was sound. You go where the foot traffic is. You go where the parking is easy. You go where you can survive.
Why the "Hard to Fit" Customer is Obsessed
Let’s talk about the sizes. This is where Reyers really separated itself from the pack. Most stores carry a "D" width for men or a "B" for women. If you need something else, the clerk usually just shrugs and tells you they can order it online. That doesn’t happen here.
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Reyers became famous for carrying:
- Women’s sizes ranging from 4 to 14.
- Men’s sizes up to 22.
- Widths from AAAAA (insanely narrow) to EEEEEE (basically a square).
It’s kind of wild when you see it in person. You’ll see a professional basketball player standing next to a petite grandmother, and both of them are finding shoes that actually fit. Mark Jubelirer, who has been the face of the business for years, always emphasized that fit matters more than fashion. If the shoe kills your feet, who cares if it looks good? That philosophy earned them a level of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that most modern e-commerce sites can only dream of.
The Reality of Shopping Local in a Digital World
Is Reyers still the giant it once was? It’s complicated.
The internet changed everything. When you can jump on Zappos or Amazon and have five pairs of boots delivered to your door by tomorrow, the allure of a three-hour drive to Sharon (or now Niles) fades for some. But there is a nuance to shoe fitting that an algorithm just can't catch. An algorithm doesn't know if you have a high arch or a lingering case of plantar fasciitis. It doesn't know how a specific brand of German leather will stretch over time.
The staff at Reyers are lifers. They know the inventory. They know how a New Balance 990 fits differently than a Brooks Ghost. That human element is the only reason they’ve managed to stay afloat while other giants like Payless or even department store shoe sections have crumbled into dust.
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Misconceptions About the New Location
A lot of people think that because they moved to the Eastwood Mall, they’ve become "just another mall store." That’s a mistake. They brought the massive inventory with them. It’s still a gargantuan selection compared to your average Journeys or Aldo.
Another big misconception is that they only sell "old people" shoes. Sure, they have the comfort brands like SAS and Rockport that your grandpa loves. But they also stock UGG, Birkenstock, and high-end athletic gear. They’ve had to balance that line between the "comfort" crowd and the "fashion" crowd to stay relevant. It’s a tough tightrope walk.
Navigating the Legacy of a Small Town Giant
Sharon, PA has had its share of rough patches. When the steel mills struggled, the town struggled. Reyers was one of the few things that kept people coming into the city center. When they left, it hurt. There’s no sugarcoating that. It left a hole in the community that hasn't quite been filled yet.
But you have to look at the survival of the business as a win for the region. In an era where family-owned businesses are being swallowed by private equity firms and stripped for parts, Reyers is still standing. They are still fitting feet. They are still providing jobs.
What You Should Know Before You Go
If you’re planning a trip to check out the current iteration of the store, keep a few things in mind. First, don't rush. This isn't a "run in and grab a pair of flip-flops" kind of place. You go there to get measured properly. Use the Brannock Device. Let the salesperson actually look at your foot.
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Also, check their clearance sections. Because they carry so many odd sizes, you can often find high-end, expensive European brands for a fraction of the cost because they’re in a size 13 narrow that nobody else can wear. It’s a goldmine for the "hard to fit" crowd.
The Actionable Truth About Your Feet
Most people are wearing the wrong shoe size. Seriously. Recent studies suggest up to 60-70% of people are walking around in shoes that don't actually fit their foot shape. This leads to back pain, hip issues, and obviously, ruined feet.
The value of a place like Reyers isn't just the leather; it's the measurement. If you’ve been dealing with foot pain or you can never seem to find a brand that feels "right," you need to stop guessing online.
Next Steps for the Perfect Fit:
- Get a Professional Measurement: Find a store with a legacy of fitting—like Reyers—and get measured while standing up. Your feet spread under your body weight.
- Shop in the Afternoon: Your feet swell throughout the day. If you buy shoes at 9:00 AM, they might feel like torture devices by 5:00 PM.
- Bring Your Own Socks: If you’re buying hiking boots, don't try them on with thin dress socks. It changes the volume of the fit entirely.
- Ignore the Number: A size 10 in Nike is not a size 10 in Clarks. Trust the feel and the expert's advice over the number printed on the box.
The legacy of Reyers shoes store Sharon PA lives on because they understood one simple thing: your feet are the foundation of your entire body. If the foundation is off, everything else falls apart. Whether you visit them at their new home or support another local independent fitter, prioritize the expertise over the convenience of a "Buy Now" button. Your knees will thank you in ten years.
Key Takeaways for Shoppers
- Inventory is King: Despite the move, the sheer volume of sizes remains their biggest competitive advantage over online retailers.
- Support Legacy Retail: Buying from a multi-generational family business keeps specialized knowledge alive in the industry.
- The "Sharon" Identity: While the physical store moved to Niles, the brand is still fundamentally tied to its Pennsylvania roots and the blue-collar work ethic of the Shenango Valley.
- Custom-Level Fit: For those with extreme widths or sizes, this remains one of the few places in the United States to try on multiple options in person rather than playing "return roulette" with online orders.
Instead of settling for whatever is on the shelf at a big-box retailer, take the time to find a specialist who understands the mechanics of a gait and the structure of an arch. The extra hour spent in a fitting chair is a small price to pay for years of comfortable walking.