Shoemates Opens Location in Downtown Newberg

McMinnville-based Shoemates Footwear & Repair is expanding by opening its second location at 600 E. First St. in downtown Newberg.

Shoemates Footwear opened its McMinnville location in 2013, offering a variety of footwear along with resoling and shoe repair services. Owner Tim McDaniel, a McMinnville native, said he has spent a fair amount of time in Newberg and is excited to bring his business to a town that he feels is missing a shop like his.

“With the wine industry being so close, a growing population in town, and George Fox University, it just makes a lot of sense,” McDaniel said.

Shoemates will offer a variety of lifestyle and dress footwear brands, including Birkenstock, Dansko, Red Wing Shoes, Taos, Keen, and Clarks Shoes. McDaniel said he will also carry a limited selection of athletic shoes, such as Brooks running shoes.

“I think some people forgot what it’s like to go in and try some shoes on,” he said. “We talk with our customers, measure their feet, hear what they’re looking for, and find the shoes that are actually right for them. No buying, trying, and sending back to wait for another pair. You can walk out with your right-sized shoes that day and go about the rest of your day.”

McDaniel is also bringing his resoling and shoe repair services to the Newberg location, with the work occurring in McMinnville. Resoling is an important service that Shoemates offers, he said, because the brands he supports are generally high quality, where the materials can last longer than the rubber on the bottom.

“It’s protecting people’s investments and keeping shoes out of the landfills,” he said. “I hope more people learn about shoes that can be resoled. They become lifetime shoes.”

He said he doesn’t see the Newberg location as an extension of the McMinnville branch, necessarily. Instead, he wants Shoemates Newberg to be a part of the community—he said he will likely look to hire employees who live in Newberg, maybe even George Fox University students, and use the Newberg branch as a base to reach out and service area winery employees who may need their boots serviced after long days among the vines.

Overall, McDaniel—who has a background in landscape architecture—said he enjoys his job for the community. He said a community that walks and engages with neighbors is stronger and more understanding than the disconnected big-box stores and interstate travel.

“It’s about shoes, of course,” McDaniel said. “But also, it’s about connection for me. Trying on shoes is a physical thing, but talking with someone and connecting with your community is also important. I love getting to know people, even if it’s just about shoes.”

Shoemates Footwear & Repair will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4:30 p.m. Learn more at shoematesmac.com.