Jim Foster has spent most of his life in the shoe business, first as the son of a shoe store owner in Michigan and later opening his own store in Tucson.
But after a 33-year run, the owner of Foster’s Shoes, 4811 E. Grant Road, is calling it quits with plans to retire, travel and spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Foster opened his first store on Broadway in 1987. The business moved to several locations, including serving customers in Green Valley and Sierra Vista, before landing at Grant and Swan roads 16 years ago.
The business originally sold both men’s and women’s footwear, but eventually shifted its focus to serving women only. Foster’s Shoes has been known for carrying a wide range of sizes and widths, from narrow to extra wide and sizes 5 to 12.
Though much has changed over the last 30 years, Foster has managed to ride the waves of the economy with a positive attitude, exploring new ways to operate the business and bringing in different types of merchandise, his wife, Eileen, said.
Foster has prided himself on running a service-oriented business, encouraging customers to sit down, get fitted and identify how to meet their individual needs, Eileen Foster said.
“He’s had customers reach out to him because of their ailing feet and since he announced the closing, it’s amazing how many people have come to him and said ‘you’ve changed my life, my feet feel so great because you put me in the right shoe and the right size,’” Eileen Foster said. “His being genuine and honest and wanting to help the customer and not just make the sale — customers realized that and appreciated the time and effort he’s put in over the years.”
A going-out-of-business sale is underway with Foster’s expected to close its doors sometime in March.
