Tulsa Treasure Fleming’s Comfort Footwear celebrates 40 years of fitting success. By Kathy Passero
P
IRATE-THEMED PARTIES? Ring dip challenges? Sneaker collabs with a local twist? They’re hardly run-of-the-mill retail experiences. But then Fleming’s Comfort Footwear is no run-of-the-mill footwear store. The second-generationfamily-owned Tulsa business, which turns 40 this year, has written its own success story by balancing a spirit of zany fun with a continually updated selection of high-quality comfort product and friendly, sit-and-fit service from knowledgeable shoe dogs who love their work and their customers. Much of the store’s unique and often quirky approach stems from its owner’s creative mindset. Ryan Fleming, son of the shop’s founder, has been known to dress up as Footie the Elf for kooky holiday social media posts. He also draws from his background as a musician to write shoe-themed jingles and tribute songs that he posts on his store’s Facebook and Instagram. (“My Mephisto” to the tune of ’80s pop-rock band The Knack’s “My Sharona” is one example.) He’s locally famous for hosting in-store extravaganzas like a Star Wars–themed May the 4th event with Ara. Sam Spears, president of Ara North America, attended in a Darth Vadar costume, while Fleming dressed as Obi Wan Shoe-nobi. “People look forward to the crazy events where we partner with brands. Those are our biggest days of the year,” says Fleming, who also teamed up with Ara on a pirate day, melding the brand’s name with the buccaneer catchphrase “arrrr.” “Customers put the dates on their calendar and come in to take pictures with us. Some of them dress up for the occasion,” Fleming says. Newcomers stop in to find out what’s going on. “If you walk into a store for the first time and find people dressed like pirates on a random day, it’s hilarious,” Fleming says. “It’s a party.” The concepts aren’t always corny. Case in point: Fleming’s hit big with a oneof-a-kind Psudo sneaker last year. “Psudo mentioned they were doing custom prints, so I asked if they could do a Tulsa flag. [Brand founder] Michael Rich gave me a draft in five days, and in six weeks I had a prototype. He flew out for our launch party, so when people came in to try on the shoes, they could meet the owner of the company. “People went nuts for that shoe, especially when they found out Psudo made it just for our small, humble, mom-and-pop store,” Fleming says. “Customers sent me pictures from the Olympics with the Eiffel Tower in the background and everywhere else they’d worn their flag shoes. I sent the pictures to Michael to show him that his custom shoes were all over the world.”
Not only do Fleming’s customers praise the shop as a “Tulsa treasure” and “the stuff dreams are made of” on social media, but vendors are equally complimentary. Spears, who has been familiar with the retailer since his university days in Tulsa in the ’80s, calls Fleming’s “an amazing single-door owner-operator that punches way above their weight class.” He adds, “They set themselves apart from the pack with a very curated selection of all quite premium brands that are not necessarily typical for a comfort footwear store. Ryan doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he takes business extremely seriously. And he thinks way outside the box. He’s a real renaissance man.” Ari Levy, national sales manager for Naot, agrees. “Ryan’s very creative, and he truly has a passion for what he does. Both his vendors and his customers can see this. He fosters a connection with both,” says Levy. “And he does some great social media posts. My favorites are when he plays his guitar.” Mephisto USA CEO Rusty Hall is also a fan of
Fleming’s sometimes wacky social media marketing. “Ryan is an uninhibited entrepreneur who will use any means possible to bring energy to his store,” Hall says. “He’s funny, yet very smart in his dealing with his customer base. “The market is tired of boring malls and department stores with zero service,” Hall adds. “Retail started as—and continues to be—one of the best places to look for entertainment, and Ryan brings that into his specialty shoe store.” Ryan Fleming
HEART AND SOLE Fleming’s offers plenty of substance to underpin its flashy events and colStanley Eisenman labs. The store’s winning formula involves deep expertise, dedication to making customers feel cared for, and a quest to continually refresh the merchandise mix. “I’m always looking for quirky, expressive, unique items that catch the eye,
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