Business

New shoe store opening on Route 58 this weekend

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | The Working Shoe & Bootery, a purpose-built footwear store, is opening Feb. 22 in Riverhead.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | The Working Shoe & Bootery, a purpose-built footwear store, is opening Feb. 22 in Riverhead.

Carpenters, nurses and anyone who spends most of the day working on their feet needs a comfortable pair of shoes, Michael Brandine said.

That’s why he’s opening The Working Shoe & Bootery, a purpose-built footwear store, on Route 58 in Riverhead this Saturday, Feb. 22.

“My wife and I are getting out of retirement in a big way,” said Mr. Brandine, a former truck driver himself for Queensboro Farms who lives in Huntington and has a second home in Southold.

The 1,800 square-foot shoe shop, which is located in the King Kullen shopping center in the space formerly occupied by Weight Watchers, will sell more than 100 different styles of Red Wing shoes and boots, including orthotics, Mr. Brandine said.

In addition to selling shoes and boots, the shop also has a device that can measure feet width and identify pressure points, he said.

“A lot of people have back problems because they put more pressure on one leg than the other,” Mr. Brandine said. “This machine measures that and then we can fit you with the right orthotic.”

Founded in Red Wing, Minn. in 1905, Red Wing Shoes manufactures footwear specifically designed for people who work in physically-demanding industries, like farming and construction. It was that ethos that drew the new proprietor to the brand.

“I just felt it was a great American company,” Mr. Brandine said. “And we thought Riverhead would be an excellent location for Red Wing Shoes.”

A Brooklyn native, Mr. Brandine said he and his wife plan to live on the North Fork full-time.

“We’ll probably sell the house in Huntington and move out here,” he said. “We love the area, so we figured it was the best place for us to put a business.”

When it opens Feb. 22, The Working Shoe & Bootery will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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