The Hanig's Footwear Story

Hanig's Shoes home movie

For over 60 years, Windy City shoppers have relied on Hanig's Footwear. Whether you're dressing up or down, the extensive selection of casual and dress shoes will keep your feet feeling comfortable and looking great. Hanig's combines global fashion trends with the atmosphere of a local family business, giving store visitors a delightful shopping experience.

The commitment to offering outstanding customer service and wonderful shoes began in 1944 with Irv and "Billie" Hanig. Driven to offer the finest assortment of footwear in Chicago, the couple opened their first store on the north side of Chicago just three blocks from the family's home on Pine Grove Avenue. Over the next 19 years, Irv opened additional stores in Chicago and New York, including the country's first Johnston and Murphy store in Chicago's famed Palmer House Hotel.

Irv's son, Peter, joined the business in 1971 to help open their LaSalle Street store. In 1978 he then opened the company's flagship store on Michigan Avenue. Over the past three decades, Peter has solidified the Hanig name as a trademark of customer service and satisfaction, traveling to Europe each year to identify the latest in fashion trends and shoe manufacturing. His hard work and enthusiasm paved the way for additional stores in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood and neighboring suburbs Wilmette and Evanston.

While there is plenty to see inside any of the five stores, Peter and the Hanig family are dedicated to the city beyond their company walls. At Hanig's Footwear, a commitment to bettering Chicago has always been a top priority. Peter spearheaded "Cows on Parade" in Chicago in 1998, a public art exhibit that placed 330 life-sized cow sculptures throughout the city. His desire to showcase these innovative pieces of artwork to members of the community was a great success; "Cows on Parade" brought in over 250 million tourist dollars to the city, and the event's auction raised over 3.5 million dollars for charity organizations.

"We have an investment in the community that national chains don't have," Peter says. "We live here and our customers are our neighbors. Relationships are the strength of any business, and we have a close relationship with the city of Chicago."

It's this relationship that earned Hanig's Footwear the strong reputation it has today, and it's this relationship that will continue to keep Hanig's at the top of Chicago shopping lists.