Gimre’s expands its long-lived shoe empire

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, October 31, 2006

In a move their founding grandfather likely couldn’t have foreseen 114 years ago, the current owners of Gimre’s Shoes in Astoria recently entered into a license agreement with three Seattle area New Balance shoe stores.

The stores – located in downtown Seattle, Bellevue Square and Alderwood Mall, in Lynnwood, Wash. – are “all independently owned and operated,” said Peter Gimre, who, with his brother, Jon, owns Gimre’s Shoes in Astoria and Hillsboro. The deal means Gimre’s now has license agreements with a total of five New Balance stores, including one at Pioneer Place, in Portland, and one at Bridgeport Village, in Tigard.

Gimre’s Shoes, Inc. is one of the oldest retail shoe operations in the western United States that is still owned and operated by the same family.

Sven Gimre, a cobbler from Stravanger, Norway, began making shoes in Astoria in 1892. His sons, Kermit and Anders Gimre, managed the stores until the 1980s. The business is now owned and operated by Sven’s grandsons, Jon and Peter Gimre. Conrad and Maxwell Gimre Wolfard are from the fourth generation to sell shoes in the oldest family owned shoe store west of the Mississippi River.

Gimre’s Shoe Store has been the recipient of the Small Business of the Year Award by the Autzen Awards and Oregon State University.

New Balance started as an arch-support company in the early 1900s, and still manufactures in the United States. Today the New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. family of brands includes New Balance, Dunham, PF Flyers, Aravon and Warrior Lacrosse. Headquartered in Boston, the company sells its products in more than 120 countries.

For more information visit www.gimresshoes.com or the New Balance web site www.newbalanceportland.com.