16 August 2024
After 20 years at Empire Mall, Shoe Diva is moving south.
The shoe retailer, located next to Macy’s, is moving to 57th Street, The Bridges.
“It was a good thing, but times change and we always liked The Bridges,” said owner Carla Kuehl. “There’s been a lot of change in the city in that regard and the nice thing is that when I told customers, long-time customers … about our move, they said, ‘Oh, I’m so happy, this is my neighborhood. You’re closer to me now.’ It’s been universally positive and that’s just exciting.”
Kuehl had considered opening in the mall at the corner of 57th Street and Western Avenue two decades ago, but the project was not yet complete and she had “a really wonderful offer for this location” in the mall where she previously owned the Metro store.
“It’s bittersweet here, but sometimes it happens,” she said. “My customer is busy; he wants to drive to my door, come in and do whatever he wants.”
While the store primarily sells shoes, including the Birkenstock and Ugg brands, Shoe Diva also offers a selection of clothing.
“We treat our clothing like an accessory, so we’re not about clothing, but we still have some really great pieces,” Kuehl said. “We want everything to be special and different from everyone else.”
The store will be open in Empire Mall through the end of August and has reduced prices on some merchandise ahead of the move. The hope is to open in The Bridges on October 1, if not sooner.
The space at The Bridges was formerly the Supplement Warehouse and is located next to Sport Clips and 605 Running Co.
“It fits the neighborhood,” said Autumn Kaufhold of Van Buskirk Cos., who represented the space.
“It’s also practical for them with the parking spaces in front of the door and it fits very well into the tenant mix,” said Kaufhold about Kuehl.
There are still a few places available at The Bridges.
“We’re getting calls and having a lot more conversations,” Kaufhold said. “Our landlord is looking for deals and is very open to working with companies to see what we can do. I’m doing a deal for one of the spaces right now, we’re in the process of reviewing the lease, so I’d have three of different sizes after that.”
