Page 165 - BWM March 2013

March 2013 | Business World Magazine | 165
able lesson back in the 70’s when he first
assumed leadership of the stores. Schuler’s
had predominantly focused on better-grade
footwear for business professionals and ca-
sual occasions, but he began adding more
lines of European design-sense. In an effort
to attract new customers, the new product
lines didn’t go over so well with his existing
customer base. He realized that catering to
new customers should never mean forsaking
established customer expectations.
Today, Schuler Shoes has relationships
with manufacturers throughout the world
and it continues to maintain an inventory of
a wide range of style, largely because it has
room to accommodate that inventory. Many
of the Schuler Shoes locations encompass
more than 9,000 square feet of operating
space.
Schuler also has four locations that specif-
ically focus on shoes, apparel and accessories
manufactured by New Balance. Schuler says
he partnered with JimDavis of New Balance
because the company, more than any other,
specialized in manufacturing shoe styles in
the widest range of sizes and widths. “They
make shoes for men and women in narrows,
mediums, wides and extra wides in size-five
up to twenty,” says Schuler. “You have to
have sizes and widths to cater to all differ-
John Schuler, President