San Antonio Shoemakers

They changed the drink menus every season so I was bummed they didn’t have my drink with kiwi in it. I was forced to try something else but I’m glad I did, I don’t think you can go wrong with any drink here! They are all so delicious!!!

Great shoe! I waited 3 months to write this review. I am very hard on shoes and these are still holding up well. I spent about $ 180 bucks for the SAS TimeOut. I usually buy a pair of shoes every 3 months but these are my first SAS. If they last for 12 months then they are worth it! I will update this review in 9 months.

We love SAS shoes. Have been wearing them over 30 years. The factory store is a great showplace. The variety of shoes is unbelievable. The staff are very friendly and always have a smile for you. Several years back they even made custom cowboy boots. I had 2 pair made & they were excellent, sorry to say, they no longer make boots, but we still wear their shoes. If visit here you can’t help but check out all the old vintage cars they have here.

I love coming here whenever I want to just sit down and chat, while enjoying ten cent cokes, some peanuts and popcorn. They also have a really decent selection of soaps, wind chimes, shoes and even a small section where you can fill up a random assortment of candy in a bag and pay a set amount. Calming and a good family environment.

I grew up with my parents wearing SAS shoes. They would travel frequently, and swore by them. My mother-​in-​law has the same addiction. I have always thought that they were meant for the people that had crossed over from the Fashion First/​Comfort Second side of footware to Comfort First/​Fashion Second side. I remember them being the shoes of choice of all of the nuns in my Catholic grade school.
Recently, my children have become fans of the show «How It’s Made» on the Discovery Channel. We’ve watched factories turn out everything from jelly beans to hockey sticks to contact lenses. As I am always looking for a great new field trip for us, I thought a factory tour would be an interesting one.
I knew that SAS (standing for San Antonio Shoes) had a factory here, so I looked up times and booked a tour.
Although there are stores scattered around San Antonio, the factory is located on the south side of town, near I10 and Division. It is at the cross section of Zarzamora and New Laredo Highway.
As you drive into the parking lot, it feels like stepping into another world. A train station platform greets you as you park your car and walk toward the old-​town-​looking building.
Inside, you are met by a world from another time. My children love reading the «Little House on the Prairie» series, and it reminded me of that. It had a general store type of feeling, and sold everything from toffee candy to gardening books. Cat food dishes and keychains. An old fashioned ice cream parlor offered free soft serve to children and in another area, they were able to get popcorn for 5 cents. They marveled at the classic car in the middle of the floor, sitting right next to the giant stuffed bull that was next to the outhouse. If you think that it all sounds thrown together, than I’m not adequately communicating that all of this works like a tapestry of the past put together for your enjoyment.
And, among all of the many old fashioned delights, they sell… oh, yes, shoes! One section has men’s shoes. As my husband browsed, he was greeted by an employee who ushered him over to a seat. The seat was the seat of a horse-​and-​buggy carriage. She measured him, pulled out her shoehorn, and put on the dressy loafers that he had been looking at. He really liked them, and bought them at $ 30 off the regular price. You see, the factory store here sells the «seconds», although honestly, I have yet to find a flaw.
Next to the men’s, they sell children’s shoes, and they make them on the spot. My kids enjoyed watching them sew the shoes together, and were disappointed that they didn’t come in their size. They only go to size 10.
Then, we ventured to the women’s side, which was sorted by size. There was also a world of purses and belts and accessories. The girls ate popcorn while I tried on some shoes. I was surprised that either the styles had been updated or that I’m venturing into that Comfort First side. I don’t think so, though. The three-​inch Mia sandals sitting in my closet don’t exactly scream of coziness.
After selecting two pairs of sandals, we headed over to take our factory tour. We had pre-​arranged this, although if you call the store (924‑6562), they can tell you what their regular tour times are. There is no charge for the tour.
We boarded a shuttle bus, and were taken into what seemed like a real-​life version of the «How It’s Made» show. Everything was buzzing — people, sewing machines, racks of shoes being walked around the building. Every station was different. At one station, someone would be stretching the leather. At another, someone was cutting it. At another, someone was sewing it. Near the end, someone would be attaching it to the sole. At the end, the sharp-​eyed quality control staff would check for the slightest imperfection.
I imagined that this is what the elves from the «Elves and the Shoemaker» story would look like as they cranked that footware out in the middle of the night.
What was pleasant to discover was that people seemed happy to be working there. There were signs filled with positive affirmations all around, and I never go the «sweat shop» feel that I would have expected from a factory.
I also liked that they said that everything is made in one of their four USA factories.
The tour lasted about 45 minutes, a perfect time for children’s short attention spans.
I had once arranged a field trip for our homeschool group here, but my kids were sick on the scheduled day, so we missed it. The parents all said that they had a great time, though, and now I was able to see why.
So don’t miss this hidden treasure in San Antonio!

This business is known for respecting its employees and their families.
Known for respecting the environment and the community.
Business makes a product known to last longer than you’d like (ask someone who’s had some they’ll explain).
We have spotted these shoes under the hardest working people in the city.
The factory store is more fun than words or pictures can detail.

Our tour group had a fantastic time here. The factory tour was so informative and we had a great guide. Loved the old general store and the 10cent cokes. All the employees went out of their way to make sure our visit was perfect. They gave the tour guide, the driver and one lucky person from the tour a free pair of shoes. Would highly recommend the entire experience. Wish we had had more time to spend there.

Super friendly and helpful staff and great vibe. Fun place to shop and visit, and they make a quality product. Most comfortable shoes I’ve ever had.

if you want to travel back in time 50 years, this is the place to do it. with receipts printed on notepads by hand, 10 cent cokes, chocolate bars you never heard of for years (Bosco! George Constanza’s ATM password!) this is the place to do it.
the shoes seemed mostly women selection, the mens look similar to the women (from my un-​discerning eye) so i didn’t purchase shoes. but i definitely loaded up on sweets and nostalgia.
a great time for the family, and all around!

Love their fine made shoes in Texas over 30 years.

So I don’t go to SAS Shoe Factory and General Store for the shoes. Although I do hear amazing things about them.
The General Store is always a weekend hit for us. The store was added in the 70’s and filled with antiques to represent craftsmanship and just a place for customers to enjoy. After it burned down in the late nineties it was restored bigger and better.
The parking lot is filled with antique cars. The inside is like you stepped back in time. Fully equipped with its own candy store (candy from the 70’s and 80’s are not hard to find here), ice cream parlor, and knick knacks galore. My favorite it the snack counter. 10 cent icy Cokes 5 cent popcorn and hot roasted peanuts. With pleanty of picnik tables this is a great way to enjoy the afternoon.
This is a great place to explore if you’re nearby. There are even times you can take a tour of the factory and watch shoes being made. Worth the visit every time!

I don’t understand why no one has reviewed the SAS Shoe Factory and General Store in San Antonio before. We randomly were looking to buy some SAS shoes to take back to Cali while we were visiting San Antonio, and this location came up in our gps search. Little did we know that this was the official headquarter store!
We sure did luck out because the variety of SAS shoes here is a bit overwhelming with the amount of options available. Luckily they have knowledgeable and friendly sales associates who know their SAS shoes like the back of their hand. We met several sales associates who have been there for over 10 – 11 years. I picked up a pair of Maria shoes and being a factory store, it was about 20−30% cheaper than SAS shoes you would buy at the mall or other retail shoe stores. They even have shoe tours during specific times of the day; unfortunately we arrived too late in the day and missed out. We heard it’s better to come on the weekdays because that is when you can view the people actually making the shoes in the factory so you get a full SAS experience.
The General Store portion offers .05 popcorn and .10 Coca Cola!!! How can you beat that?!? I didn’t get to go to any other SAS stores in Texas but if you have to go to just one location, this one off of New Laredo Highway seems like a great choice.