March 2, 2021

Iconic Arthur Johnson Shoes is going out of business, ending more than a century of family-owned shoe retail.

Owner Tom Coppock sold the building at 41st Street and Kiwanis Avenue a decade ago and signed a 10-year lease for the shoe store’s space.

It would take him to age 70, “and I thought I’d be ready to retire by then, but it sure showed up quickly,” said Coppock, who grew up in the business after his father and uncle bought it from the Johnson family.

“We could extend our lease, but all things considered and all the many years I haven’t spent with my family because I’ve been in retail, I’m kind of looking forward to it – although it’s bittersweet because we’ve been around a long time.”

To say the least. The business actually dates back to the late 1800s when Arthur Johnson’s father, Mons, began his career at a store called The Other Shoe Store. Mons and Arthur Johnson then bought the Ramsey Brothers shoe store at 119 S. Phillips Ave. and got into business ownership, calling it Johnson Shoe Co. and later moving it to the Beach Pay building.

The Coppock family bought the business in 1962 but kept the name. Tom Coppock took over in the 1970s, and the business was moved to 214 S. Phillips Ave., the current Crawford’s.

Photo courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums

“I used to draw ads for the store,” said Coppock, who worked there 30 hours a week while attending Augustana University.

“My older brother, who is an attorney, worked here. My younger brother, Jim, and I worked here, I have two sisters that have been employed at Avera over the years, and they worked here. I have four kids, and they all worked here. I jokingly told my kids I wanted them to work here so they’d want to do something else.”

Well, it worked. The rest of the family pursued other careers, so with retirement comes closure.

The store has been at its current location for 35 years, initially with only men’s shoes before moving women’s from downtown more than a decade ago.

The last year has been more challenging, Coppock acknowledged.

“Our main customer was the most cautious age group, so that made it tough, and the other thing is we’re not particularly essential. Men especially seem to be able to make a pair of shoes last a whole time,” he said.

“It really did change the whole shoe store dynamic. Nationally, slippers became the No. 1 item. Slippers were always an afterthought, and now slipper companies are doing great, and dress shoe companies are not, but we weathered it OK. We’re not really heavily staffed, so it’s pretty easy to do.”

There’s plenty of inventory left, including some newer spring arrivals, for when the going-out-of-business sale starts Thursday.

The merchandise all will be out on display, “just like the old days,” Coppock said. “Back in downtown, we would have semiannual sales when sales really meant something. We’d put stuff out on racks, we’d open at 7 a.m., and the first day would be just nuts. It would be nice if we recaptured that again.”

The family is “humbled and grateful to the community that has ‘given us a job’ for 60 years,” he added. “It has been our pleasure. And now, we welcome you to come say goodbye and get a good buy.”

Hours are  10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

A final date has not been set.