Hall of Fame: Saxon Shoes
First Place: DSW
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
292-7332
stores.dsw.com/va/richmond.html
Second Place: Nordstrom
Third Place: The Shoe Box
Although DSW has a large store in Willow Lawn, its staff must choose carefully how much real estate to devote to different shoe styles: kicky flats, wedge sandals, running shoes — and that’s just on the women’s side. “A lot of that is based on the season, but we also try to offer a wide variety of shoes,” assistant manager Rachel Vassar says, because its clientele is as varied as people in retirement communities and college students. Right now, sandals with chunky heels and espadrilles (“classic Richmond,” Vassar notes) are among the hottest commodities. This fall, she expects the colors of cognac and burgundy, as well as denim shoes, to be on-trend. Hall of Famer Saxon continues its reign after more than 60 years as a homegrown business.