A Visit toYesteryear…And A Tease for Monday!

I spent Saturday morning at the GENERAL STORE OF SAN ANTONIO SHOEMAKERS (SAS).  They had me charmed from the minute we pulled onto the property…located next to their shoe making factory.

This huge store is like walking on to a movie set of western life-past…including vintage transportation from buggies to early cars…antique popcorn makers…and even an ice cream parlor and candy store….with old favorites in bins just ripe for scooping.

I sighed upon entering the door…cookies had been placed in the ovens and popcorn was popping in preparation for five tour buses which would visit that day.  The aromas were delicious.

They sell popcorn and a rich cup of coffee for a nickle and soda in a bottle for a dime. All food products and merchandise sold are 100% American made.

In fact, one of my favorite stories was of a retirement community which makes the specialty purses they sell in the store. The purses are fun and creative…and the makers, appearing on a video next to their wares,  are precious.

But, the charm of the atmosphere…the inviting aromas…the wonderful products sold from gifts, to accessories, to shoes, to books, and more…are all wrapped in the warm friendly smiles of the employees.  I was greeted with genuine joy from the minute I walked in the door… and struck with how everyone seemed to be really happy to be there.

Many of the employees are second and third generations of  other SAS employees…this is family to them…this is home.  They readied for the tour buses as if preparing for visitors to their houses.  And you could sense the excitement. Yet, I was told this is a normal day for them.  They are accustomed to being a part of tourists plans to our city.

Inside this old original mule barn are many stories…but when you get down to it…the real story is all about the shoes!

And tomorrow I have a lot to share with you and something for you to consider about your shoes.  I hope to see you then!  Have a great day, everyone!

7 Comments

  1. What a fun experience, and a great way to showcase their company. It's so nice to see how they value the local community. We actually have an SAS store near me and it's always packed with people.

  2. Yes! Love this place. I took the tour and wrote a blog post about it many years ago. I wonder if it's changed much since then? It's a lot of fun for families.

Comments are closed.