It stands out on Pine Bush Main Street like a postcard from another time, an era when shopping for shoes was actually fun, and when going to the shoe store meant meeting with a cheerful, knowledgeable staff, who actually knew who you were, as opposed to the dismal business in today's huge, impersonal chains, where you're forced to search on your own through stacks of shoe boxes, wondering why all the size 8s are Wides and all the 8 and a 1/2s are Extra Wides.

The store is "Sneakers To Boots, Cowboy Up," a business that began 23 years ago, but was bought four years back by Joanne Gross after the original owner passed away.

Joanne Gross's connection with Pine Bush goes back a long way.

"My family always used to spend the summers up here. We had a home in Pine Bush [owned by] my mother's family for more than a hundred years. I have loved Pine Bush since I was a little girl."

How did Joanne get involved in the shoe business?

"I'm really real estate driven. I had always wanted to own a piece of commercial real estate in Pine Bush because I had seen the growth that was taking place and I recognize the opportunity that we have here. And as a bonus, I liked the store, too."

How does Joanne view the situation in Pine Bush right now?

"I'm not against growth, anything but. Still, I want smart growth. I'd like to see more businesses in town and more walk-in traffic. I belong to the chamber [Pine Bush Chamber of Commerce] and I can tell you that it is making a big effort to bring in tourism and encourage people to come and visit our town. And if they do, then that gives us storeowners an opportunity to convince them to become customers. What I like is that Pine Bush is pro-active, and of course the store has to be pro-active too. We've gone online now, so people can shop online with us. And we're not just sitting and watching the door, either. Marisa goes out into the field. To talk to businesses about buying their work boots from us."

Marisa, of course, is Marisa O'Brien, the store's manager, and in Joanne's words, "a fabulous addition to our store."

Joanne notes that people travel considerable distances to shop at Sneakers to Boots, Cowboy Up.

"They come to us for service, and for the kind of selections we offer. We have a great staff and we're dedicated to the old time proposition that you win customers by making friends. The store has really pulled together nicely, I'm very excited about it."

Marisa O'Brien lists the store's strengths with an ease that shows how much she's thought about the subject.

"In our radio ads I like to say that we have everything but high heels and a lack of patience, but just about everything else."

That's a nice line, but in terms of specifics?

"We have a large selection of men's working boots. Then, we have a big range of women's hiking boots, and hiking sneakers. Plus, of course, horse boots, riding boots, everything for the horse farms. And, our signature selection of sneakers, which is extensive, with everything brand name, from Nike to New Balance. But, we go to extra lengths, because we have a big selection of childrens' shoes, which you don't find elsewhere."

Indeed, it's almost reached the point where it seems that the big box retailers have decided to let American children do without shoes, because they can't charge enough for them to satisfy corporate profit requirements.

"Beyond those obvious things, a lot of people come to us because they have foot problems — things that just can't be dealt with adequately by the chain stores. We take measurements, we order shoes with special requirements. And we don't even charge much more than the stores in the mall."

But beyond all of this, O'Brien makes one very important point about Sneakers to Boots, Cowboy Up.

"We stand behind our service and the shoes we sell. If something falls apart, or boots spring a leak after a couple of months, we send them back for you. In the end, we're more concerned with our customers' comfort than in just hitting their pocket books."

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