The newly opened Shoe Box in downtown Waldoboro offers an eclectic variety of shoes, clothing, hats, knives, throwing stars, watches, rings and other miscellaneous wares.
The store will hold a grand opening celebration on Feb. 19, featuring a selection of shoes for only $9.99, as well as prizes such as gift cards for bowling, pizza, gas and, of course, The Shoe Box.
The store’s owner, Christopher Luce, 24 of Waldoboro, is excited about the new location because “we need a good shoe store,” Luce said. He currently offers a wide variety of shoes, boots and athletic cleats, and is hoping to expand his selection of running shoes.
Luce’s prices are also deeply discounted compared to other area stores, he said. “You shouldn’t have to pay $80 for a pair of shoes,” Luce said, “I don’t think that’s right, to charge that much; especially in a recession.”
He’s able to charge less for his shoes because The Shoe Box is a little like the Renys’ of shoe stores, he said: he buys shoes in bulk directly from a manufacturer in Florida, and buys many of his other items from a liquidation company, he said.
At only 24 years old, The Shoe Box is Luce’s second business. He ran a similar shoe store for about six months in Union last year.
“Things were going well,” Luce said, “but I didn’t have much foot traffic. I’m looking for foot traffic in the summer.”
The Shoe Box is on Jefferson Street just outside the downtown village in Waldoboro. The store shares a building with – and is right across the hall from – Bad Hair Days at 235 Jefferson St.
Luce said he was able to afford to open the store by “working hard for family and saving my money for a long time.”
Now, the store is open, he and his fiancé, Kelli Dias-Bundzinski, have their first child due “on Monday,” Luce said, and he’s optimistic about the future.
“I’m taking a risk,” Luce said. “It’s taken a lot of guts, and it’s been a lot of work.”
Anyone interested in more information about The Shoe Box can call Christopher Luce at the store at 832-1712.
