Sikes Shoe Company

Sikes Children's Shoes and the Jack N' Jill Shop in Homewood in March 2007

Sikes Shoe Company has run a small chain of retail children's shoe and clothing stores in Birmingham's "Over the Mountain" area since 1955. Currently, the company operates two stores, Sikes Children's Shoes and Jack N' Jill Shop, a children's clothing store, adjacent to each other in the Stevens Building on 18th Street South in Homewood.

History

Fred Sikes opened the first Sikes Children's Shoes store in Homewood on February 14, 1955. When Frank Youngs, Jr married Sikes' daughter in 1963, Sikes promised Young his own store within five years. In 1968 that promise became a reality with the opening of Sikes & Youngs Shoe Company in Vestavia Hills. A few years later, Youngs removed his name from the store's sign because Sikes was the name that had built recognition and a good reputation. Youngs ultimately divorced Sikes' daughter, but he had already bought the business from his brother-in-law, Wayne Sikes, in 1991.

In 1993, Youngs closed the Vestavia location but opened another Sikes Children's Shoes in the Riverchase Promenade across U.S. Highway 31 from the Galleria. Although the Hoover store did well, Youngs eventually went to a month-to-month lease as he got older to avoid a long-term one. In 2006, he was asked by Riverchase Promenade management to close so the center space of the shopping center could be reconfigured for Kirkland's, which was moving out of the Galleria. Therefore, the Hoover store closed on December 26, 2006. The three Hoover employees were transferred to the Homewood store, which is adjacent to Savage's Bakery, another long-time business in Homewood.

In 2014 Laura Player, a long-time employee of the store, purchased both Sikes and Jack n’ Jill from Frank Youngs.

Locations

Current locations

• Sikes' Children's Shoes, 2920 18th Street South, Homewood (map), 1955–present
• Jack N' Jill Shop, 2918 18th Street South, Homewood (map), 19??–present

Former locations

• Sikes & Youngs Shoes, Vestavia Mall, Vestavia Hills 1968–1993
• Sikes' Children's Shoes, 1725 Montgomery Highway South #115, Hoover (map), 1993–2006

References

• Wilkinson, Kaija. (February 15, 2006). "Keeping it comfortable." Birmingham Business Journal.
• Goodman, Sherri C. (February 2, 2007). "Kirkland's moving to new location." The Birmingham News.
• Hoover closing date from phone call to Sikes store. (February 2, 2007).

External Links

• Sikes Children's Shoes website