STRAIGHT TALK
By Bob McGee
C
hiappetta
Shoes, entering
its centennial
anniversary
year, has a CEO
in Anthony
Chiappetta who
is forward-thinking, optimistic
yet refreshingly blunt about
the present and future of U.S.
independent shoe retailers.
We spoke with "Chips" about
surviving in a business climate
dampened by the ongoing COVID-
19 pandemic. Concerned about
the need for shoe independents
to stay connected to one another,
he created and launched the 'Shoe
Dogs United' group on Facebook
in 2017 that now counts more than
4,000 members and has become a
resource for shoe retailers to share
ideas, ask questions and vent.
Anthony and his younger
brother, Nick, operate the single-
door operation owned by their
parents, Frederick and Lori
Chiappetta. The business was
named Small Business of the
Year in 2018 by a local Wisconsin
business alliance and has been
honored multiple times as a
Footwear Insight Gold Medal
Service Award winner.
We caught up with Chiappetta
before the holidays to get his
thoughts on a number of key
issues and trends for his business
and the independent shoe industry
at large.
Catching Up with Anthony Chiappetta of Chiappetta Shoes in Kenosha, WI.
Brothers Nick and
Tony Chiappetta.
46 • sportstyle • March 2021 sportstylemag.com
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