Along with working through the pandemic and COVID-19, Drake has helped relocate the store to a new location after the closure of the Crossroads Mall on Sept. 6.

Now, though, the Dayton native believes she can see incredible growth on the horizon as the store continues to provide quality and brand-name footwear for the entire family.

A grand re-opening is being held this weekend at the store, 1521 Second Ave. N.

“I am excited to see what we can do,” Drake said. “We can have our own sign to light up, banners to put out. Those are things that we just could not do while in the mall. And if you looked at the mall’s parking lot, you had no real idea if we were open or not.

-Messenger photos by Britt Kudla
Manager Brittany Drake sits in her office at the new Shoe Sensation location in Fort Dodge, located at 1521 Second Ave. N.

“You had to go down a long hallway just to get to us inside the mall. Now, we can open things up and showcase the store to customers.”

Drake moved to Fort Dodge from Dayton 13 years ago. She previously worked as a paraeducator in the school system and also was an assistant manager at a convenience store.

While things seemed uneasy around the mall’s closure and future, Drake was confident Shoe Sensation would remain in the area.

“It is just us and Brown’s for family shoes in the area and we have a really good customer base, so I was pretty sure they would find a place to keep the store,” she said. “Finding that place, though, was stressful for everyone. But once we knew where we were going, it was a weight off the shoulders.”

Shoe Sensation offers national brands such as Skechers, Clarks, Crocs and Easy Street for women, along with Rocket Dog, Fergalicious, Jellypop, Sperry and Bearpaw for juniors. Children’s shoes in brands such as Skechers and Nike are available, along with men’s brands like Dockers, Dr. Martens, Lugz and a number of athletic shoes.

And, as Drake notes, if the shoe isn’t in store, they can order it and have it shipped directly to your home.

Shoe Sensation, though, does more than just help with footwear. They are a rock in the community through events such as the currently ongoing donation to the Susan G. Komen Association and another run in November with Socks For Troops.

“Last year, we actually beat our best year for socks,” Drake said. “Hopefully, we can top that number this year and just keep growing with it.”

With the new location, Drake feels they are in a more friendly environment to attract new customers and retain regulars.

“I’d like to see us get some new faces in,” she said. “I also would like to see more out-of-town customers come in to the store.”

Shoe Sensation is currently located at 1521 Second Ave. N with six employees. It is open from 10 a.m.to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Along with the Fort Dodge store, Shoe Sensation is also located in Carroll, Storm Lake and Spencer around the area.