Nelson's Boots & Shoes at 3601 N. State Line Ave. carries work footwear, steel-toes boots, women's shoes, western boots and more, including hard-to-find sizes. Their seasoned staff is trained in the art of finding the perfect fit. Photo by Kelsi Brinkmeyer / Texarkana Gazette.Nelson's Boots & Shoes is a family owned business, following in the footsteps of the founder.
"My dad started all this," said Jim Nelson, president and general manager of Nelson's Boots & Shoes, son of James R. Nelson.
James R. Nelson, founder and currently vice-president, though semi-retired, got this whole thing rolling in Texarkana, seeing changes in the shoe business from the beginning.
The elder Nelson started in the shoe business in 1946. At the time, his business was not a store.
"He sold directly to his customers," said Jim Nelson. "He sold to mechanics, salesmen, grocery store workers, anything along those lines, involving working people. Often, he found his sales through references. His was an industrial, working world focus. Most men's shoes at that time were dress shoes, the sort men worked in. The move to dress shoes as formal wear began in the '70s. He sold work dress shoes until 1972."
In 1972, the first Knapp franchise store opened in Texarkana at 1419 State Line Ave.
"It was a pure franchise store," said Jim Nelson, "Before that, other than a few locations, mostly in the Northeastern United States, people bought shoes from a salesman or a catalogue."
Knapp Shoes operated at that location until 1985, when it moved to its current location at 3601 N. State Line Ave.
"Knapp's went out of business and we changed the store's name to Nelson's in 1999," he said. "Though we have changed our name and carry multiple brands at this point, we still specialize in working footwear, work and steel-toed boots now. Industrial footwear for the needs of local industry. And that ebbs and flows, so does our business."
Jim Nelson says they have expanded what they offer a bit, though, over time.
"We now offer Western boots, SAS brand shoes for the ladies and more," he said. Other brands include Wolverine, Irish Setter, Justin and Tony Lama.
In the whirlwind rush of business all around, Nelson's remains focused on knowledge and customer service for its customers.
"You can't do the business the way we do it without customer focus, attention to detail and taking at least six months to learn the business," he said. "We call it 'sit 'n fit.' We measure your feet and fit the shoe to you when you come to see us."
As such, some of his six employees are very long-termers.
"Some have been with us 23 years," he said. "It is all about knowledge and attention to detail to provide the level of service we do. Comfort is king. This takes time and developing knowledge of product."
They offer boots and shoes for all sizes and widths.
"Sizes up to extreme wide widths and up to size 18," he said. "We can go bigger."
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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS | If the shoe fits: Texarkana retailer keeps current with the many changes over the years - Texarkana Gazette
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