As the saying goes “good things take time.” Time has been good to Gary Weiner, his family, and Saxon Shoes, the company his parents, Gloria and Jack, started in 1953 in downtown Richmond. This year marks the end of an era for Saxon with the retirement of Weiner and the sale of the company.
“The footwear industry was an incredibly tight knit group,” says Weiner, the company’s outgoing president and CEO. “Everybody knew everybody. Everybody was looking for success. It was a great industry to grow up in with my parents, sister, and my family.”
Weiner’s mother had her son stocking the shelves around the age of fifteen and selling shoes at sixteen. At the time, brands such as Bally, Air Jordan, and Stuart Weitzman were rolling off the shelves. Today, some of the biggest brands include Uggs, Birkenstock, and Hoka.
“There are so many names that aren’t around any more,” he says. “Some brands grew, some went away, and some consolidated.”
Evolution of a Family Business
Weiner went to work for his parents full time after graduating from the University of Maryland in 1979. “I learned everything from my parents. I’ve had so many people helping me and Saxon get to where it is now. It’s a testament to my parents and what they started and built.”
One of the things he will miss is the people he worked with in the industry along with all the people that came into the store that recognized him, he says. “I recognized them too. It’s good to be a local in Richmond.”
Saxon Shoes was recently sold to Northern Virginia-based Comfort One Shoes, another family-owned business. The Saxon Shoes brand will remain intact as will the store’s Short Pump Town Center location. Weiner’s daughter, Amanda, will stay on in a permanent role to help with continuity.
Weiner is proud of the fact that many of the company’s employees have been with Saxon for up to forty years. “Over the years, we have been lucky enough to work with and support hundreds of families working for Saxon,” he says.
He is also proud of the company’s emphasis on philanthropy. Saxon’s Shoes for the Needy campaigns have pulled in more than 100,000 pairs of shoes. “Giving back in and around Richmond has always been really important to us because Richmond has taken good care of us.”
So, what will Weiner be doing with all the extra time he will have? “I plan to do more of what I have been doing for the last ten to thirty years, spending time with my family and grandkids, taking good care of myself and others around me and finding the right place to keep giving back,” he says, adding, “I’m not going to miss waking up at six-thirty in the morning.”
