Opened in 1832, this is the oldest Shoe Store in Switzerland. Today, the seventh generation runs the family business. They sell shoes and accessory for the whole family, from size 18 to 50.
Samuel is the seventh generation to own and operate the store «Schneider Schuhe» since 6 years and invited me to his store to speak about his passion, life and of course his store. I think everybody who grown up in St.Gallen knows this store and has bought a shoe here at least once in a lifetime. Here you get really good and professional advice and they know their business very well. Since 1942 the Family Schneider sells shoes in the building on the Goliathgasse. I had the opportunity to see an old wall portrait of a hunting scene (see pictures below) which was revealed during the last restoration of the store!
Schneider Schuhe carries shoes for the entire family since 1832 but the needs, trends and wishes of customers change all the time. For example at the moment they sell ON-Shoes (a Swiss performance running shoe in which Roger Federer invests). In Switzerland almost everybody wants to wear an ON-Shoe at the moment – they are currently trendy and very popular. Schneider Schuhe also sells shoes, which are made of floating plastic from the sea! Furthermore they also sell vegan shoes! I mean: Whaaaaat? I have never heard of it before, I mean I didn’t know that such a thing exists!
However, sustainability and good quality is extremely important for Samuel. For Example, he take care about, where the shoes come from and what are the values and attitudes of the producer. He is retailer of Kandahar, which is a traditional Swiss Shoemaking Brand. These Shoes last at least around 8-10 years because they use the best quality leather and produce only in high-quality small-batch.
Finally: if you need shoes for you or your children that last a long time, try to find them here and support local businesses. By the way: there are different events every year and if you like to know more about it, don’t hesitate to subscribe Samuel’s Newsletter!
Goliathgasse 5 & Vadianstrasse 2 | schneiderschuhe.ch | Facebook | Instagram
