Midwest Shoe Merchants Converts Waxberg's to Stan's Shoes in Niles Remodel

Midwest Shoe Merchants has rebranded its Niles, Ill. store on W. Dempster Street as Stan's Shoes, completing a full remodel that adds digital foot-scanning technology to the 76-year-old banner's newest location.

The Wisconsin-based, family-owned company acquired Waxberg's Walk Shoppe at 7013 W. Dempster St. in 2022. For roughly two years it ran the store under the original name, keeping existing furnishings and fixtures intact while it reshaped the product assortment. The rebrand now aligns the location with Midwest's other retail banners. The company operates seven stores under Stan's Shoes, Goodmiles Running Company and The Vionic Store by Stan's, plus e-commerce sites.

What changed inside the store?

The renovation delivers an open layout, clean lines, comfortable seating and room to walk around. Management frames the design as putting "the shoes front and center in our store design to make it easy for the shopper," Megan Sajdak Holtan, Midwest's chief strategy and marketing officer, said in an interview.

The buildout also includes a foot scanner from Aetrex. The device gives fit specialists additional data on customers' foot measurements and characteristics, layering technology onto a service model the company has defended since its founding.

"We did a lot of research in advance about what people are looking for in a retail space, and we go around to different stores personally," Sajdak Holtan said.

Who runs the company?

Leadership changed earlier this year. David Sajdak, formerly director of merchandising, became chief executive officer. His brother Ben serves as chief operating officer. Their father Jim chairs the board, and their mother holds the vice chairman seat; another brother, Andy, sits on the board. Grandfather Stan founded the business in 1950.

The CEO said Stan emphasized a "sit and fit" model in which staff still measure customers' feet. That personal-interaction focus persists across the chain.

"Our fit specialists do everything from measuring feet to looking at the shoes," Sajdak Holtan said. "Sometimes they are fashion experts. Sometimes they're more on the health side when we partner with doctors to fulfill their patient's needs, such as with orthotic inserts."

Which product categories are moving?

Athletic footwear still dominates the business, but the mix is shifting. Consumers "don't want an athletic shoe for everything anymore," the CEO said. "We are seeing a nice little uptick in casual footwear." He named Picolinos, Taos, Aetrex and Dansko as brands enjoying a lift as shoppers seek alternatives.

Waterproof walking shoes have also stayed strong, he added, because customers can use them across multiple activities. The merchandising team, which the CEO joins on sourcing trips, continues to scout for unique, quality products worldwide.

"We obviously have to constantly be aware of current trends and what the consumer wants," Sajdak said.

The Niles conversion gives Midwest a renovated, rebranded anchor in Northern Illinois as it weighs further expansion of its seven-store footprint and e-commerce operations.