A Step Above
Steve Jamison’s Path to Becoming One of the Premier Shoe Retailers in the U.S.
How did a poor kid from North Philly grow up to become one of the world’s premier purveyors of luxury Italian and European footwear? Like many success stories, it took a lot of hard work, tenacity, risk and luck. As a child eating “government cheese” in the Nicetown-Tioga section, one of the notoriously roughest neighborhoods in the city, not in his wildest dreams did Steve Jamison think he’d be outfitting the most well-heeled gentlemen of Philadelphia with Roberto Cavalli, Magnanni and Di Bianco footwear from his very own shoe boutique, Blue Sole Shoes. His adult life is quite a stark contrast to his childhood, to say the least. “As a kid, I remember seeing gang fights and being hungry a lot of the time. Often times I’d open the fridge and find nothing but a pitcher of Kool-Aid. But we learned to be resourceful by making mayonnaise sandwiches and syrup sandwiches. We did what we had to do to get by.”
From humble beginnings, Jamison is now the meticulous owner of one of the swankiest men’s boutiques in the heart of Philadelphia’s busiest retail corridor. Blue Sole Shoes is THE destination for fine men’s footwear and apparel in The City of Brotherly Love, with a serious emphasis on customer service. “I’m intensely focused on serving people when they enter my business,” said Jamison. “Outstanding customer service and the high quality standards our inventory maintains are my primary focus. Those two elements are what differentiates us from every other men’s boutique anywhere. That’s what sets us apart from everyone else.”
Steve’s focus, coupled with his incredible eye for style and fashion, along with keen business instincts has allowed Jamison to build what has become way more than just another shoe and apparel boutique, it’s a warm and friendly sanctuary filled with camaraderie, conversation and cultural diversity. It’s also turned him into an award-winning success story. Jamison’s expertise in men’s footwear earned him the MICAM Award for “Best Italian Foreign Buyer” in 2015 (MICAM is the leading international footwear forum, held in Milan, and promoted by ASSOCALZATURIFICI ITALIANI, the Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers). The prestigious international business prize is awarded by MICAM exhibitors to buyers who demonstrate the greatest appreciation for the excellence of Italian-made footwear, and their work in promoting it worldwide. “It means you have to buy a lot of stuff,” said Jamison with a laugh. “You have to have a stellar reputation throughout the industry.” Jamison’s clientele includes locally-based professional athletes, A-list celebrities who swing through Philadelphia, including entertainer Steve Harvey, whom Jamison considers a mentor. “There are some famous people who I try to model my behavior after, including Steve, who is a big inspiration for me because of his incredible work ethic. He also has a fantastic eye for fashion!,” noted Jamison.
But becoming a successful minority business owner was no small feat. “It only took 33 years,” he jokes. Jamison first started in retail at the age of 17, working part-time at a sneaker store after school. After attending the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, he intended to go on to Miami to become a bilingual criminal defense attorney, but instead he ended up taking a detour, jumping right back into retail and never looking back, working for notable Philadelphia clothiers and shoe retailers, where he worked his way up from sales associate to assistant buyer and eventually into management.
“I literally fell in love with helping people immediately, and I still love it today,” said Jamison. “I’ve always loved shoes – the designs, the details and workmanship, and the reaction that customers have when they put on a new pair of shoes. I achieve a serious high when I witness how they feel and how it transforms their mood and their style on the spot. It’s an extraordinary phenomenon.”
In February of 2007, after finally saving enough money to open his own boutique, Jamison opened Blue Sole Shoes at 1805 Chestnut Street, then, a still developing retail shopping district in Philadelphia, which is now booming and home to national retailers and high-end dining destinations. But in February of 2007, opening the boutique was a huge gamble. Jamison put everything on the line to go after his dream during the onset of The Great Recession. He financed his store with credit cards, and took out a $120,000 home equity loan and risked his house and everything he owned to open the store during what became one of the worst economic times in U.S. history.
“Heck yeah it was scary,” exclaimed Jamison. “I knew that if the store failed I would lose my house, and maybe everything I’ve worked for all my life. My wife was very supportive, though, and she knew going into it that we were risking everything, but she also had a great appreciation for what we were doing and the utmost trust in me. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from her. Her support greatly helped me get where I am today.”
In 2018, Steve earned a prestigious Best of Philly award from Philadelphia magazine, with Blue Sole Shoes being named for having the “Best Showstopper Shoes” in the city. As stated by Philly Mag: “The only things bolder than the bright orange walls of Steve Jamison’s boutique are the shoes on the shelves – washed alligator sneakers from Italian brand Dami, colorful kilim loafers by Res Ipsa, funky Jo Ghost boots, burnished blue leather Magnanni monk-straps. But don’t wait too long to make a purchase: Jamison only ever buys one size run-through of each pair, so when a shoe is gone, it’s gone.”
In 2021, Jamison was featured in the City of Philadelphia’s Center City District post-COVID “Return to Philly” shopping campaign, and became the face of the initiative, giving a speech in front of other top Center City retailers, elected officials and shoppers, and officially kicking off the city’s return to business after the pandemic.
In September of 2025, Steve arrived at his business one morning like he had every other day for nearly two decades, to find a shattered storefront window. While many would feel angry and defeated from such vandalism, Steve looked at this as an opportunity. Rather than boarding up the window, he took a boot from his inventory, sawed it in half, affixed the toe box to the outside of the window, and glued the remainder of the shoe to the interior to create an illusion of a boot breaking through the glass. The improvisational art installation inspired countless people passing by to film and post the “art” on social media, and the story itself went viral in the news and on social media, garnering local and national attention for months, while garnering coverage in major lifestyle media outlets such as Complex.
In 2024, the business also completed a small expansion – a renovation which saw the boutique grow in size and space, gaining a stunning new facade with a massive picture window which exposes passersby to Blue Sole’s incredible inventory. “We’re getting busier, so we had to grow larger,” Steve said. “When I opened, I only had a few shelves with shoes spread out to make it look fuller, but now, we have so much more inventory, and we’re now offering so much more apparel, so it was time to expand the showroom and add a dressing room. In addition to stunningly gorgeous shoes produced all over the world, we now offer an extensive collection of gorgeous shirts, pants, jackets, socks, belts, bags, accessories and attaches.” That was just the beginning of Jamison’s expansion plans, as the inspired retailer plans to eventually scout new locations for a second boutique as his brand continues to grow.
“I love being a business owner,” Steve said. “I flat out love it! I love what I do when I’m here, what I do before I arrive in the store each day, what I do when I leave, and I seriously enjoy providing my clientele with beautiful merchandise that helps them look like a million bucks. I adore the shoes, the fashions, the artistry in all of the designs, and all of the aspects of fashion – putting together an entire outfit for a client, from the shoes and the shirt, pants, socks and belt and everything else makes me feel great, especially if the customer is as ecstatic with the look as I am. There’s no question that this is what I was meant to do. There’s no doubt that is my calling. This is my life’s work, and I’ll do it until I can no longer do it well.”
At home, Jamison is a husband and a father to an amazing daughter. He says he strives to be a role model for others: for a younger generation of African-Americans who dare to dream big and run their own businesses. “They have to understand that you don’t have to settle, but you do have to put in the serious time and hard work it takes to gain the insight and instincts it takes to run your own business,” said Jamison. “I also know for a fact that there isn’t a great representation of African-Americans in my field, and for me, it’s important for me to step up and champion that cause. I view my store not just as a destination for the style-conscious consumer to buy exclusive footwear and apparel, but as a place of inspiration for my customers, my team, and for any future entrepreneurs that I have the opportunity to touch.”
