By Gus Saltonstall
Harry’s Shoes, the longtime Upper West Side business, is closed and will not reopen until this summer, according to signs in the window and the store’s website.
When Harry’s does reopen, it will be under new ownership. The business has operated for the last 50 years out of the storefront at 2299 Broadway, near the corner of West 83rd Street.
“Reopening Summer 2025! We’re getting a fresh start!” reads a message currently on the homepage of the store’s website. “We are temporarily closed for renovations and training, but we’ll be reopening soon under new ownership. We can’t wait to serve the Upper West Side with incredible service, a new more liberal return policy, and a huge selection of amazing footwear and accessories for men, women and children!” The same message appears on a sign in the storefront window.
According to the website, the new owner of Harry’s is Sole Provisions, a shoe store chain that opened its first location on Long Island in 1997. The Sole Provisions website lists 22 store locations around the country, but this will be its first in New York City.
The news of the temporary closure comes after Upper West Siders in recent months noticed the dwindling inventory in Harry’s. When the Rag visited the business in January, a manager told us that the business had been sold and that it would temporarily close at some point in the near future to undergo renovations.
The manager also said the store would keep its name as Harry’s Shoes. It is unclear when exactly in the summer the business will reopen.
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I shopped there when the entrance looked quite different back in the early 1960s. I also shopped at Indian Walk. Mom would take us to both.
My Buster Browns came from Indian Walk and Florsheim (which used to be on Broadway at 72nd St). Loved my BBs….
Used to be Florsheim
I’m truly surprised that Harry’s Shoes made it as long as they did and actually had a business left to sell, with their surly sales help, overpricing and awful return policies; I gave them up decades ago!
Well, I have shopped there in the past and they have some nice footwear, no doubt. But they were very pricey and the service not so friendly.
Yes and too too pricey. One does not
mind paying extra for fine quality and they did have the best but it was way overpriced. Looking forward to something new.
Terrible customer service and awful Return Policy. Stopped going years ago. Noteworthy that new management plans a more liberal return policy which shows they are aware of at least one problem with the business.
The place I bought a $200 pair of shoes due to an emergency where my shoes got ruined and had no place else to buy shoes. The beauty of not living in Manhattan is buying shoes from local business that are priced better and last longer.
I also thought they were not particularly accommodating. They also don’t carry my size, which is a woman’s four.
Or mine, an 11 Narrow. Glad to see the new owners plan to spend time (and presumably money) on training. Fitting shoes properly is an honorable profession that takes skill, patience and empathy — which Harry’s staff lacked.
I think you are right
Truly. I love supporting local businesses. But the sales people there were not helpful in the least, tried to pressure me into buying shoes that never fit. When the same thing happens to my brother, I decided I was done.
Hopefully under new ownership, the store will have a kids section.
I also cannot imagine how hard this has been for the family.
This is encouraging. I was afraid some private equity firm had acquired Harry’s. Here’s a link to more info about the new owners: https://www.soleprovisions.com/pages/about-us
Good luck!
I welcome the more liberal return policy and hopefully better prices.
My wife bought me an expensive pair of Church’s shoes for my birthday – in the wrong size – and waited til my birthday to give them to me, a day too late to return even FOR AN EXCHANGE under Harry’s return policy. The shoes were unworn, indeed never taken out of the box. We were customers for 15 years and never went back.
I wore Indian Walk shoes as a child and now many, many decades later attribute my excellent feet to them.
Overpriced, ordinary shoes. Very unfriendly staff. Why shop here?
Wow I am sad about Harry’s. Although one did get the sense they had been staggering for a while. And, tbh, Tip Top on 72nd was always more fun and cost a bit less. But Harry’s kept up some elegant styles out front for a long time, and you got the idea that their hardworking staff had to climb down many basement floors through a maze of old inventory to find anything – inevitably only close to what you asked fo, not the thing. But I liked them.
I know some people romanticize the Upper West Side, but let’s be honest — this is exactly what’s wrong with it. I’ve lived all over Manhattan, and I can say without hesitation that the Upper West Side is one of the dullest and least dynamic neighborhoods in the city. Yes, it has its charm and history, but the day-to-day reality is a different story. Stores open and close without notice, vacancies are everywhere, and some businesses shut down as early as 7 p.m. Others remain closed multiple days a week due to religious observance. I respect certain business, cultural and religious practices, that’s not the issue, but when the entire neighborhood feels like it’s winding down before the sun sets, you can’t ignore the lack of energy. It’s not about disrespect, it’s about recognizing how stagnant the area has become.As someone who’s middle-aged, I’ve noticed this even more whenever I try to make plans with friends to go out or grab dinner in the Upper West Side. People are just never excited about it. The vibe feels old and lifeless, and honestly, the restaurants aren’t anything to write home about. There’s no buzz, no energy , it’s like the neighborhood stopped evolving years ago.