Lakewood Lore

If the shoe fits, it must be from Cerny's

Cerny Shoe's, a three-generation name in downtown Lakewood retailing, has seen many changes in footwear since the store opened in 1935.

One of the most sweeping has been a grand love affair with sports shoes by customers, young and old, during the past 15 years, according to Donald A. Cerny's at 15002 Detroit Ave. and grandnephew of the shop's founder.

"Sports shoes have evolved from a simple canvas for the foot to an explosion of high-tech designs that will continue to multiply and improve," Don said.

"We will see even more, including still lighter-weight models and new cushioning innovations that eventually may be adopted as well for dress shoes and casuals."

Furthermore, Don pointed out, today's sports-shoe customers demand the very latest developments, so that 2-year-old designs are basically out of style.

"And it's remarkable to me the way modern marketing and promotion has been able to merchandise these specialized sports products at prices in excess of dress shoes," he added.

Cerny Shoes was started in 1935 by Don's great uncle, William P. Cerny of Bohemian descent, who had been president of Zak Bros. eleven shoe outlets before the Great Depression of the '30s closed 10 of them.

Zaks paid off their creditors and then went out of business, but William Cerny salvaged the one remaining unit in the chain to operate as his own. It originally was located on the south side of Detroit, second store east of St. Charles. Later it was moved across the street, next to Geiger's Haberdashery.

Don's father Robert joined Uncle William in 1950. After two years, upon William's retirement, Robert purchased the business. In 1965 Cerny's took a new address --15010 Detroit, near Gladys -- and in 1972 moved to its present location on the same street at 15002.

Current owner Don, who is one of Robert's six children and a graduate of Cleveland State University, began working for his father in 1973 and eventually acquired the store. Other family members help with the enterprise. Don's brother Dale has been on the staff for nine years, and Don's brother-in-law, Richard Ferguson, is a part-time worker.

Earlier Don's mother Laverne teamed with her husband, doing all the bookkeeping, and Don's grandfather Frank and brother Bob were employees for a time. Don has another store in Parmatown, under the name of Dexter Shoes, which he operates with his sister-in-law Lois Cerny, widow of Bob.

Don was married in 1975 to the former Marlene Pachuta of Parma, and the couple make their home in that suburb. They have two children, Jenny, 13, and Craig, 10.

Most common mistake customers make in buying shoes, Don cautioned, is to get them too short and too tight.

"Most people think a shoe will stretch, but that's not always the case. It will never stretch in the toe box, for instance, and tightness there adds up to a foot doctor's bonanza.

"One should but a shoe that is comfortable and let it mold to the foot," he explained.

After its last relocation, Cernys switched from a shoes-for-all-the-family operation to an all-men's outlet. It also added unusual sizes. Today it carries up to size 18 in stock and can order up to size 20.

"We used to provide a customer who was 7-feet-6-inches tall with a size 20 leather western boot," Don said. "Biggest shoe ordered now are 19s.

"However, feet are getting larger," Don observed. "When we started 55 years ago, most men's sizes were 6½ to 8. Now the common range is from 8½ to 10."

This article by Dan Chabek appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post December 6, 1990. Reprinted with permission.

[Note: Cerny Shoes is the only shoe store on the block that once had five. It expanded its space and inventory after Julius Katz, owner of Lakewood Juvenile Shoes, retired in 1992. Lakewood Juvenile was started by Julius' father 50 years earlier.]

More Lakewood Lore