Mandel's

Mandel's

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (Shoe stores)
Founded	March 1936 (1936-03)
Founder	Maurice Mandel
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	Southwestern United States
Key people	Maurice Mandel (leader during 1930s–1950s)
Products	Shoes, slippers

Mandel's, also recognized as Mandel's Shoe Stores and Mandel's Fascinating Slippers, was a prominent shoe retail chain operating in the Southwestern United States throughout much of the 20th century. At one point, the brand promoted its products under the tagline "Mandel's Fascinating Slippers". Maurice Mandel led the company during the 1930s through the 1950s. Subsequently, Mandel held the position of General Merchandise Manager (GMM) at the Mullen & Bluett chain and later became president of Harris & Frank.

The chain maintained several locations, including:

In Central Los Angeles:

• The flagship outlet situated at 518 West Seventh Street in Downtown Los Angeles, which opened in March 1936 and was reputed to be the largest shoe retailer in the Western United States at that time.
• A store established in 1954 at 9670 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
• Two separate locations on Hollywood Boulevard within Hollywood.
• The Miracle Mile branch located at 5480 Wilshire Boulevard in Miracle Mile, which ceased operations during the 1970s. This store occupied one of the earliest commercial buildings in Miracle Mile, originally constructed between 1927 and 1929 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It underwent a 1949 renovation by Eugene Burke and Charles M. Kober, adopting an "ultra-modern California style" characterized by subtle color contrasts.

Within the broader Greater Los Angeles area:

• The Glendale outlet at 327 North Brand Avenue, inaugurated in 1953.
• A location at Lakewood Center in Lakewood, which received remodeling work in 1962.
• The Long Beach store situated at Third Street and Pine Avenue.
• Pasadena’s branch at 246 South Lake Street opened its doors in 1957. Covering approximately 4,000 square feet (370 m²), this $160,000 investment marked the chain’s tenth store.
• A location at 406 North Main Street in Santa Ana.

Other notable outlets included:

• El Paso’s store located at 208 North Mesa Street (SH 20) in El Paso, Texas.
• A retail point established in Phoenix.

A significant legal development occurred in 1957 when a California Appellate Court determined that Mandel's could not deny sales to African American customers. The ruling affirmed that retail establishments qualified as "places of public accommodation," overturning an earlier judgment which had excluded stores from state anti-Jim Crow laws protections.