Recently, our co-owner Erika Boger sat down with VoyageJacksonville to talk about her home life and running her business, Boger’s Shoes. VovageJacksonville is an LA-based Magazine. They use their site to help promote mom and pop, artists, creatives, makers, and small businesses.
VocageJacksonville does this by giving a “platform for these hidden gems to tell their stories in their own words.” They get their stories from recommendations from the community because who knows better about hidden gems than the people who live and shop there every day.
Below is the article from VoyageJacksonville by
Exploring Life & Business with Erika Boger of Boger’s Shoe
Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Boger.
Hi Erika, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We provide orthopedic, diabetic, and comfortable shoes as well as orthotics. We are one of the few who fabricate custom inserts and orthotics on-site in our office. Our business was founded in 1957. My husband and I took over the business in 2015 as third-generation owners. When we purchased the business we knew we didn’t want it to just be the same it was for years, but instead wanted it to grow and expand.
We had the showroom completely remodeled in 2017 and have implemented appointments to better serve our insurance and VA patients. We are blessed with wonderful customers and employees that feel like family. Our employees care for customers and each other and are always willing to go above and beyond to help in any way they can. Our customers can feel this and that is why we have so many people who keep coming back year after year.
Since purchasing the store and implementing some modern changes we have seen an increase in business of 30-35% despite the pandemic. We give the credit to God for guiding our steps and blessing us with opportunities and opening doors to serve others and make a difference however we can.
On a more personal note, my husband and I met at church when we were very young (6 & 7). We began dating in 2006 and were married in 2012. We have two young children, Skylar (5) and Grady (1). We enjoy spending quality time with family and attend Harbor of Hope Church where my dad is the pastor. We are looking forward to the future and plan to expand the business to serve our customers better.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not always. The transition in 2015 did not go as well as we would have liked but we prayed for God to help us through it and made the best of things that did not go as they should have. We were setting up for a banner year in 2020 when Covid-19 happened.
Thankfully we were able to keep the medical side of our business open and running with limited staff. We have been blessed beyond words and were able to keep all of our employees on staff and paid during the pandemic despite having to close the retail portion of our business for 4 weeks.
It took about a year, but business is getting back to where it was before the pandemic. Our new challenge is the supply chain issue and getting shoes into the store. Thankfully, we have had other vendors step up and our customers are very understanding and willing to try something new.
We’ve been impressed with Boger’s Shoes, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I handle the financial and office side of things while my husband, Brett, is a certified pedorthist. We specialize in comfort and orthopedic shoes and inserts. I think what really sets us apart is our customer service. We pride ourselves on having the best customer service in the field. Several of our customers have told us that they feel like family when they come in to see us.
Our staff is very patient and willing to do anything they can to make our customers feel comfortable and at ease. We have more Certified Pedorthists (a healthcare professionals specifically trained in comprehensive foot care using therapeutic footwear and supportive orthotic devices for the foot. A pedorthist helps the patient prevent or reduce painful or disabling conditions of the foot) on staff than any other pedorthic facility in the area. This allows us to help more patients and provide great service.
We make our custom orthotics on-site which allows us to make our own adjustments and tweaks immediately instead of having to send them off to an off-site lab. We are one of Birkenstock’s first accounts in Florida and are proud to continue to carry the iconic brand. We carry Footmates soft and hard bottom walking shoes for babies and toddlers. We also carry Tsukihoshi brand and Birkenstocks for kids.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We work very closely with many doctors and orthopedic specialists to find the best fit for our customers.
Pricing:
Shoes range from $60-$220
Custom Orthotics start at $300
Over the counter inserts $60 and up
Contact Info:
Email: info@bogersshoes.com
Website: www.BogersShoes.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogersshoes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BogersShoes
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJnjMf_lx-H_skRHBXy3RWA/featured