Footwear Insight

68 • Footwear Insight ~ July/August 2019 footwearinsight.com RETAIL "We introduced these brands to our customers," Schwartz says. "We could not survive on the keystone margins from American-distributed brands because our cost of doing business is over 50 percent. The margin for these European brands is three times to four times cost. More importantly, our customers voted with their credit cards. They recog- nized the greater value we were offering them at lower retail prices than those we were already carrying. These European brands are now 20 percent of our business, and they have increased our margin six percent." Many of Eneslow's 40 employees have been with the company for decades, and most of the retail sales staff are pedorthists. All take pedorthic training throughout their Eneslow careers, and their weekly classes include case studies and problem-solving sales techniques. "We encourage people of all ages to work for us," says Schwartz, who is himself 78. "We don't need them to be fast; we need them to be thorough, we need them to have patience and perseverance in their DNA. They have to first want to help people." He adds that the diversity of the team members reflects that of the customers they are helping. "This is key," he says. "My employees come from six of the seven continents. We are like a little United Nations. At the same time, we have to be a cohesive family who become interchangeable parts to make it work." Eneslow relies upon returning customers, many of whom have been buying shoes there for decades. "Our sales associates live to help people," Schwartz says. "They want to make a difference in their lives and take people from pain to pain-free. By generating extra sales, they are generating extra satisfaction." Schwartz says that education is a vital part of Eneslow's mission. "It's the best marketing strategy in health care," he says. "People don't want to be sold; they want to be informed and included." Eneslow was a pioneer in the promotion of rocker-style shoes and their healing properties. "They help with a variety of foot problems involving the ankle, heel, metatarsals and toes," he says. "We fabricate rockers and incorporate them into a variety of shoe styles, including women's high-heel boots." Although Eneslow was founded in 1909, it didn't separate its shoe business until 1926, when Eneslow Shoe Corp. was founded as a standalone enterprise, owned by Sol Low. The original owners, Edward and Nellie Stone Low, started out selling trusses and eventually switched to surgical products. Brothers Nat and Sol joined and added a shoe department. During America's polio epidemic when braces and splints and orthopedically customized shoes were the common prescription, the company's medical roots evolved. By the 1940s, Eneslow was selling foot products, notably orthotics and arch supports. "My dad, Paul, owned the wholesale business Apex Foot Health Industries, which sold foot products, namely orthot- ics, arch supports and orthotic components," Schwartz says. "He was trying to sell his products to Eneslow. They were the biggest users in the market and were not buying from Apex." When the business was offered for sale in 1968, Paul and his brother, Charles, bought Eneslow, as much for its wholesale as its retail business. Robert S. Schwartz joined the company in 1973 after a 10-year career in sales and marketing with the International Playtex Corp. By 1975, Robert and his twin brother, Richard, were each managing their own division, eventually their own companies, and became co-owners. Robert became the sole owner of Eneslow in 1983. His son, Michael, is the vice president; and his daughter, Rachel, is in charge of administration and social media. Schwartz says that as long as Eneslow stays on its toes, he's sure it will be around for another 110 years. "The key is the team of individuals on our staff who come from different backgrounds and different lifestyles to help people," he says. "They are special people with unique skills and talents and most of all, they have the heart of a pedorthist." l Eneslow is known for its curated brand selection.

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