I was looking for a shoe shop to get my favourite pair repaired. The August Texan heat had loosened the sole on one of them. In other times, I would have thrown the pair away rather than go through the trouble of finding a repair shop. But I loved these shoes and searched for someone to bring them back to life.
"Try Logan's," a neighbour, a longtime resident of the city, told me. "They're somewhere near the church in the town centre. There's a clear sign outside the shop. You won't find it hard to spot."
The sign was a rusted metal shoe bolted to a flagpole anchored into the footpath. Its paint—once, I imagined, a cheerful yellow—was peeling. It read: "Logan's Shoe Shop—Over Fifty Years of Service," its tip pointing toward a narrow doorway.
I entered a long, squeezed corridor. There was no air conditioning. A table fan whirred in full force, dispatching a woolly wind through the aisle. I passed shelves of shoe creams, laces, and racks filled with repaired shoes, leading to a man in a cowboy hat speaking to a woman behind the counter. He pointed at the shoes on the racks while a short Black woman with thick glasses and tightly cropped hair searched for them.
"Yes, I can see them there," he said. She reached up, then grabbed a wooden pole with a metal hook to pull the shoes down.
Meanwhile, I studied the walls. The pastel yellow paint was cracking. Framed photographs and news articles adorned the space. One showed a Black couple looking away from the camera, smiling gently. They wore neatly pressed clothes, their hair styled just so. These must be the Logans, the shop's founders, I decided.
I was still looking around when the woman at the counter, likely in her eighties, called out and asked how she could help. I handed her my shoes. She examined the rip with her fingers, then checked for other cuts, frowning, clearly displeased with their condition. "You don't cream them," she said, her voice deep and throaty, almost masculine. I felt guilty and looked down, like I was back in school being scolded for unpolished shoes.
"This will cost $24," she declared.
"Can I pick them up tomorrow?" I asked matter-of-factly.
She placed the shoes on the counter and looked at me, her head craning. "Today is Saturday. We close at 2pm, in an hour. Come next Saturday, same time. Not earlier." She picked up the shoes, muttering while searching for space on the crowded racks.
"Is that you in the picture?" I asked.
She turned, gave a faint smile, and said, "Yes. Some people see that photo and think it's my daughter, but that's me. Ours was the first shop owned by a Black man in Denton Square, back in 1942."
I wanted to ask more about the Black history of Texas. The 1940s must have been very different, I offered. She chuckled. "Yes, very. We were a segregated community then."
I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand the world she'd lived in. Was she worried about today's political climate, or had she seen enough to know that history moves in longer arcs?
Just then, a white woman entered the shop. "Hi!" she shouted. The old woman's face lit up. Another regular. She walked up and hugged the old woman across the counter. They seemed to have much to catch up on.
I slipped away, still studying the walls and the many stories they carried. As I headed out, a deep voice called after me. "Don't forget to take the slip," she said, handing me a yellow piece of paper.
I stepped outside and looked at the shoe sign again. This time with different eyes. There it stood, outside this humble shop, for over 80 years—a quiet emblem that has endured.
Q1: Where is Logan’s Shoe Shop located?
Logan’s Shoe Shop is located in Denton, Texas, and has been a trusted local business serving the community for generations.
Q2: How old is Logan’s Shoe Shop?
The sign on the shop indicates it has been in service for over 50 years, making it one of Denton’s oldest continuously running family businesses.
Q3: Who runs Logan’s Shoe Shop today?
The shop is still run by members of the Logan family, who have preserved the original craft of shoe repair while adapting to modern needs.
Q4: Why is Logan’s Shoe Shop significant to Denton’s community?
Beyond repairs, it’s a symbol of connection, perseverance, and shared history, reflecting Denton’s small-town heart and human resilience.
Q5: What lessons does Logan’s Shoe Shop offer about resilience?
Its story shows how craftsmanship, family, and community can help a small business endure changing times and keep tradition alive.
