Takken's Shoes
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Founder | Harry Takken |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 2 |
| Products | Shoes |
| Website | http://www.takkens.shoes |
Takken's Shoes operates as an independent footwear retailer with two physical stores in California, USA, alongside two online platforms (Takkens.com and Takkens.shoes). The company focuses primarily on comfort and family footwear and ranks among the largest global retailers of UGG Australia products. Its main office is situated in San Luis Obispo, California, where the original store was established in 1937 by Harry Takken, initially functioning as a shoe repair shop.
History
Founded in 1937 in San Luis Obispo, California, Takken's Shoes began as a shoe repair business. Its early success is largely credited to Harry Takken’s personable customer relations and charm. Ownership transferred to his son, Robert Takken, in 1971. By 1975, Robert diversified the business by incorporating retail sales, introducing western and work boots into the product lineup. During the mid-1980s, Robert capitalized on the emerging 'Comfort Shoe' trend by expanding the inventory to include several popular comfort footwear brands. At one point, the San Luis Obispo location was recognized as the largest independent Rockport dealer on the West Coast. The product range further broadened in the 1980s with the addition of UGG Australia and other sheepskin footwear.
In 1987, a second store was launched in Paso Robles, California. This Paso Robles outlet remains the corporation’s oldest standalone store and is one of two locations still providing shoe repair services—the other being San Luis Obispo. Both stores are well-known for their extensive western boot selections that marked the beginning of Takken's retail operations. The opening of a store in Thousand Oaks, California in 1989 represented several milestones: it was the first Takken's Shoes location outside San Luis Obispo County, the first mall-based store, and operated under the name "The Comfort Zone," signaling a strategic shift toward comfort footwear.
Throughout the 1990s, Takken's Shoes experienced continued expansion by adding nine new comfort-focused stores. Starting with Santa Maria, California, growth extended to malls located in Newark, California, Hayward, California, Tracy, California, Beverly Hills, California, Richmond, California, Salinas, California, Citrus Heights, California, and Fairfield, California—in that sequence. Entering the 2000s, an additional seventeen mall stores were inaugurated across locations including Ventura, California, Lakewood, California, Concord, California, Bakersfield, California, Roseville, California, Downey, California, Stockton, California, Fresno, California, San Jose, California, Visalia, California, San Bruno, California, Merced, California, Palmdale, California, Escondido, California, Pleasanton, California, and Valencia, California. Additionally, a new freestanding store opened in Roseville. Several stores—specifically Beverly Hills, Downey, Tracy, and Richmond—have since been closed. In recent years, seven of the oldest outlets have undergone renovations. Looking ahead, plans include opening another freestanding store in Santa Maria along with undisclosed new mall locations within California before decade’s end.
The rapid growth during the 1990s was significantly influenced by Robert’s sons Cris and Marc Takken joining full-time. Cris Takken serves as Vice President of Operations; he began working at age 13 polishing shoes part-time at the original San Luis Obispo store. He later managed the Newark location before ascending to General Manager of Takken's Shoes. As VP of Operations, Cris has introduced employee guidelines and training programs designed to uphold the customer service standards established by the company’s founder. He has also led expansion initiatives and remodeling efforts while maintaining consistent sales growth since assuming his role. Marc Takken holds the position of Vice President of Merchandising; his career started on the San Luis Obispo sales floor during high school and included management roles at Hayward, Tracy, and Beverly Hills stores. In his merchandising capacity, Marc has developed a sophisticated inventory system tailored to meet each store’s unique community demands. Takken's Shoes remains a family-owned enterprise with no current intentions to go public.
Products and services
Takken's Shoes specializes in comfort footwear and ranks among the largest global retailers of UGG Australia products. The selection of merchandise varies by store location. Across all outlets, Takken's Shoes offers an extensive range of comfort and fashion footwear, skate shoes, work boots, children's shoes, slippers, sandals, as well as accessories and orthotic products sourced from multiple suppliers.