A new year welcomes new owners of James Shoes in downtown Waynesboro

Diane Holdaway, a retired podiatrist with 20 years of service to the medical community, purchased James Shoes, located at 76 W. Main St. in Waynesboro, on Jan.6. Holdaway is remodeling and customizing the store to where she can use her knowledge of the foot and ankle to help fit customers with the proper shoes. 

"We knew that Barb Chandler, the previous owner, was looking for a buyer and in recent months we were looking to open a store of our own to make sure people have the right fit and shoe for their feet," Diane said. "So it just worked out, and we thought about it for a while and decided to do it." 

Holdaway's husband, Peter, is a podiatrist serving patients in the Chambersburg and Waynesboro areas. He will be volunteering time at the store as his schedule allows.  He is an avid runner and can help customers choose the best sneaker to keep you running.

"A lot of people have foot issues and many times, picking something off the shelf doesn't work for them and they are not comfortable. People like to look at what looks good and it can be wrong for their fit, but we can get them in nice shoes that are comfortable as well," Holdaway said who retired in 2017. "For example, if someone has a bunion on their foot, we can help them look for the best shoe for them."  

James Shoes, which has been serving the Waynesboro community for nearly 80 years, carries a variety of children’s footwear, men's and women's shoes in many styles including athletic shoes, casual and dress shoes, boots, slippers, and sandals. They carry name brands, including Stride Rite, Saucony, Keds, Clarks, Minnetonka and Lamo. 

"My daughter and son-in-law went though some catalogs with me and helped pick out some great new styles and colors that they liked and would wear, for the store," Holdaway said. "We're bringing in some more performance type shoes such as Topo and Mizuno."

The Holdaway's plan on carrying on the fitting tradition of the previous owner, as well as the customer service that James Shoes patrons are accustomed to.

"We want to keep the customer base that has been coming to James Shoes for years and years and expand to help serve everyone," Diane said. "I'm really excited but it is a little daunting taking over, and I want to live up to the reputation and service that people have become accustomed to while growing the business. Barb said she will help us get used to running the store and all of the little things with retail."

James Shoes plans to re-open the week of Jan. 17 as renovations come to a close. 

"We pulled up the old carpet and installed laminate flooring as well as put new carpet in the display windows," Diane said. We also had to renovate the ceiling and shoe displays and installed all new lighting throughout the store."

In addition to carrying shoes, James Shoes offers water protectants, shoe laces, polish, insoles and orthotics, as well as socks and compression stockings.

“Mainstreet Waynesboro is thrilled to welcome the Holdaway's to downtown Waynesboro,” said Bill Kohler, director of economic development for Mainstreet Waynesboro.

“We love that they are keeping some of the long-standing traditions and expanding the offerings as well. We look forward to many more years of great customer service that you don’t get at the big-box stores. We wish the best to Barb and thank her for her many years of taking care of the community,” Kohler said.

To help with liquidation of existing stock, many items have been placed on clearance. An open house will be announced at a later date. 

For more information, call James Shoes at 717-762-1945. Hours of operation will be 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.