BALTIMORE — Baltimore-based Shoe City is shutting down after 74 years and closing all 39 stores in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
"Unfortunately, after 74 years in business, the Shoe City legacy has come to an end," wrote attorney Stanley W. Mastil, the chief restructuring officer in a bankruptcy filing for the company.
Shoe City, which goes by ESCO, Ltd., and YCMC, filed for bankruptcy in federal court in Maryland on April 3. Mastil noted that it "remains a family-owned business to this day as the equity of the Debtor is owned by family members and family trusts of the founders."
All stores will close by May 31.
YCMC.com saysin a message: "We are proud to have served your online shopping needs in recent years. We have made the difficult decision to cease operations for YCMC."
Shoe City was founded in 1949 as Eileen Shoes and rebranded as Shoe City in 1980, becoming "an urban-inspired footwear, apparel, and accessories retailer offering men’s, women’s, and children’s products from consumer brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma."
The company is headquartered on Woodlawn Drive across from Woodlawn High School; it has 161 full-time employees and 233 part-time employees.
Shoe City has locations in shopping centers like Mondawmin Mall and Reisterstown Plaza in Baltimore, Eastpoint Mall, Parkway Crossing in Parkville, Valley Centre in Owings Mills, and Edgewater Village in Edgewood.
The filing says that Shoe City suffered declining sales; Athlete's Foot began a deal to buy Shoe City in 2022 but did not close on it.
