Around 1920, Greenville merchant Morris Lurey (1884-1963) opened New York Shoe Store on Pendleton Street in Greenville, South Carolina. Morris’s son, Meyer Lurey (1915-1996), worked in the store as a young boy, and later took over its operation when he graduated from Greenville High School at age 17. More than just a shoe store, New York Shoe Store also sold clothing and a wide variety of dry goods. After service in World War II, Meyer continued to operate New York Shoe Store until around 1965, when he sold the store in response to the increasing number of big box stores opening in the Greenville area. He then retired for about year, before he opened shirt store Mr. Shirt around 1967 in Greenville’s Lake Forest Shopping Center.
Main Image: New York Shoe Store advertisement. Reprinted from The Greenville News, December 9, 1950.