Albert V. Januzzi Footwear is incomparable to any other shoe store I have been to before, which is not to say it is unequaled, but rather inimitable.
Large white letters near the entrance of the store make the claim that Januzzi’s is Ohio’s largest shoe store. Roland Januzzi, Al’s son and the current director of operations, said, “We should probably take that down. It’s a good selling point, but we’ve reduced our inventory, and refocused on specialized service.”

Al Januzzi knows specialized service. Customers who want the perfect fit can make an appointment for a proper sizing: the Januzzi 13-point foot check. Roland Januzzi said the usual “push the toe to the front of the shoe” test that most of us do before buying our shoes is not adequate. With the 13-point foot check, you can ensure the arch fit, the weight-bearing fit, the walking fit and that your foot volume has been accounted for. “This,” Roland tells me in a line I imagine he has used before, “is not an exact science, but more of an art form.”

After the 13-point foot check, the fit is guaranteed. Customers can fit themselves, and receive a 15 percent discount. This does not come with the guarantee, though.

If Al Januzzi’s were in a movie, it would have a warehouse-sized showroom, where employees in lab coats whisk around endless rows of shoes. The sales area is not quite so large, but it is dazzling to walk down rows of identical shoes. The racks are not towering, though formidable, with about 15,000 pairs of shoes in stock. On the racks the shoes are ordered by width, not size.
Januzzi’s carries a lot of comfort shoes, as store clerk Woods put it, comfort shoes being the soft-looking white or beige sneakers that nurses and old people seem to like. The brand SAS is a titan in geriatric footwear, Joel Woods II said, “Basically old people come in and say ‘Where are the SAS’s?’ Because they last for ten years and are made in America.” They carry Nikes and New Balances, work boots and dress shoes, too.
Albert V. Januzzi Footwear celebrates its 75th birthday this year. The store originated from Roland’s grandfather Enrico’s shoe repair business that he ran out of his basement in the 1920s. The store really blossomed under Roland’s father Albert, often called the “Shoe Professor” in the shoestore trade. Albert is in his 70s, but still works around the store occasionally.

In talking with Roland, he mentioned several times how good the service was in his store. “Most people are not used to walking into a store like this,” he said. It’s hard to hear someone talk about service in the days of comment cards and middle-level management but Roland Januzzi is pretty positive that good service is what has made the family business, and what keeps the store competitive in these days of Foot Lockers and budget shoe outlets. Though this must be the most hackneyed of the success story maxims, by the end of our chat, I at least liked the idea of his believing in the notion of good service so strongly. Service is such an American virtue that a 13-point foot check seems appropriate.

You can visit Al Januzzi’s online at www.Januzzi.com or by taking Middle Ridge Road through Lorain to the Sheffield Shopping Plaza.