Do you have an uncommon shoe size? If yes, and if you have difficulty finding footwear — have you ever considered starting your own family footwear business that will last for over 140 years?
As crazy as that setup sounds, that’s exactly what happened with the Stout family, who own and operate Stout’s Footwear on Mass Ave — the oldest shoe store in the US. Here are some heely fun facts about the iconic business.
- Stout’s was founded in 1886 by Purdue engineering student Harry Stout and his business partner William Bristol.
- Around 1901, the business installed the Baldwin Flyer system, a futuristic basket and cable invention that transported shoes and currency between the first and second floors. It’s still in use today.
- At one point, there were seven Stout’s stores in downtown Indy that were all connected by a party-line telephone and a bicycle delivery boy. The last of the satellite stores closed in 1960.
- Over the years, two parrots have called the store home. The first was owned by Sidney Stout in the 1950s — he also kept a pet monkey in the store. The second parrot, Ripley, greeted customers through 2025 as the store’s official mascot.
Do you know any fun facts that we missed, or have a personal story about shopping at Stout’s over the years? Stout… err, shout them out.
