After nearly 8 decades in business, this family-owned Staten Island shoe store is closing its doors

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Ron Cole has measured the feet of thousands of schoolchildren and tended to the complex orthotic needs of scores of Staten Islanders for decades. But sometime at the end of June, the New Dorp business owner plans to retire — shuttering his family’s iconic borough shoe store for good.

“It’s bittersweet,” Cole said, standing behind the counter of the small but mighty Styl-O-Pedic Shoes, which has been a Staten Island mainstay for 78 years. “We’ve been calling our customers one-by-one to tell them the news — people who have been ordering shoes with us for years — and some of them begin to cry. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s time.”

Founded by Cole’s uncle in 1947, Styl-O-Pedic was first located in a smallish storefront in Port Richmond before moving to a larger location in Stapleton. Cole’s father, Fred — a retired Army sergeant and Korean War veteran — joined the business in 1954.

“That’s when our family moved here from Massachusetts,” Cole said. “My father had just gotten out of the service, and our final destination was supposed to be California. But we stopped on Staten Island and never left.”

Over the years, the shoe store, which made its ultimate home at 2435 Hylan Blvd. in 1963, established itself as a go-to destination for uniform school shoes and specialty footwear. Cole’s role in the business began in his youth, and the store owner said he built fond memories working alongside his father throughout high school and college.

“When we were young, my father asked my brother and I if we wanted to work at the store for a day,” Cole said. “My brother didn’t like it, but I kept coming back. I liked being here with my father and the customers, I knew that this was what I was meant to do.”

Cole’s brother Larry eventually became a restaurateur, owning the former Sweet Basil’s in Annadale and Cole’s Dockside at the Great Kills Marina before its sale in 2022. But Cole stayed focused on running the family business, taking ownership of the store when his father retired in the late 1980s.

“He’s worked six days a week for the past 50 years,” noted Cole’s wife, Francesca, who helps run the store with her husband. “He’s missed so many parties, dance recitals and sporting events. We’re going to miss our customers, but we’re ready to travel and babysit our grandchildren.”

Cole noted that the store is still seeking a buyer — an owner willing to offer the same great service and quality of shoes that his family has provided since 1947.

“We sell shoes that other shoe stores do not have — products that are impossible to find online,” Cole noted, showcasing a stack of handwritten customer cards, each precisely detailing the order history and particular needs of every Styl-O-Pedic customer. “And if we can’t find a perfect fit for a customer, we customize the shoe to make it work. I truly hope there is a buyer out there who is willing to continue that mission.”

The store owner said that after a brief vacation from May 16 to 26, he will continue taking orders until the end of the month, fulfilling customer needs until he officially closes his doors in June.

“We know our customers depend on us,” he concluded. “We’re still here until the end of June to provide everything that they need.”