Family tradition runs deep at Olson’s Shoe Service. Since opening its doors in 1889, the business has become a staple in Manhattan.

The shop has a long history that the current owners, Eddie and Dian Olson, have preserved. It was Eddie’s great-grandfather, Peter Olson, who opened Olson’s Shoe Service in 1889. At that time, the store was located in downtown Manhattan.

Opening a location in Aggieville, Peter’s son, Samuel Olson, took over the business during the Great Depression, which made the store more than just a workplace. The family lost their home and moved into the back of the shop. At that time, the store stood in the building that now houses Jimmy John’s, while the Olsons’ backyard occupied the space where the shop resides today. 

Eddie took ownership of the store in 1964; however, he did not originally plan on becoming a small business owner.

“My husband Eddie was in the Air Force when he heard that his father’s health had deteriorated and his grandmother asked him to come home when his enlistment was over to take over the shop,” Dian said. “This was not what Eddie had planned for his future, but he and I packed up and moved back home.”

While a devotion to helping their family is what drew the Olsons back to Manhattan, their experience with customers is what has kept them in business for so long. 

Some unique challenges accompany running a shoe store. Before online shopping was so prevalent, the Olsons’ store was the best place to buy high-quality shoes like Birkenstocks. Now that customers have unlimited options for buying shoes, the Olsons have found it’s best to stick with what they know. 

“Probably the biggest challenge for us is that we no longer have a corner on the market on Birkenstock sandals,” Dian said. “You can buy them in at least five different stores in town now or online. We try to keep the trustworthy styles that have brought people in our shop for decades instead of chasing the trends as the other stores do.”

Besides selling shoes, Olson’s Shoe Service also does repairs. Another challenge the shop faces is the increased use of vinyl and plastic in modern shoes, which are impossible to repair. To combat this issue, Eddie became a certified podiatrist. 

“He was able to fill doctors’ prescriptions for shoe modifications for people,” Dian said. “He would go to shoe and podiatric seminars yearly, and this allowed us to keep up with the trends in footwear, repair materials and foot health.”

Now, Eddie and Dian’s son Edwin Jr. Olson works on the repair side of the shop as well. Continuing the family legacy allows the Olsons to remain connected to the Manhattan community they have served for decades while sharing their passion with a new generation.

“The college kids running around Aggieville enjoying this particular time in their lives brings us lots of laughs and joy,” Dian said. “Being here sure keeps us young at heart! We love watching the community grow up around us.”