One of the things we enjoy about our business is the opportunity to attend dance events and meet our customers. One of the first questions that is usually asked is, "How in the world did you get into this business?"

Well, here's our story…Harout's father bought a shoe factory many years ago and asked him to help him run it. Their main focus was women's fashion shoes and they had a few customers that they were making dance shoes for. Within a short period of time, he learned the ins and outs of the shoe industry and began building the business. Several years later, Harout and Roxane got married and started their life together. Harout worked in the factory and Roxane worked in an office. Times being what they were, it was difficult to make ends meet. They decided to start selling dance shoes to a local dance studio since they were beginning to become a popular item at the factory. They took a few bundles of shoes to the local studio, The Pavilion, and asked if they could sell their shoes.

They were kind enough to say "yes" and they began coming back week after week. Many of the dancers encouraged them to try new locations and informed them of where to go. They soon expanded by attending events in Palm Springs and throughout California. The two bundles of shoes quickly became a car load, an SUV load, and soon a trailer load. Their events list went from two or three to 18 shows a year in several states. They were very proud of their slogan, "Why Coast when you can Glide?" (Their major competitor was Coast Shoes).

In 2002, they received a call from Manny, the owner of Coast Shoes. He had been following their success for many years and had decided that it was time to retire. He had started his business with his father in 1951 and felt that they were the only ones that would be able to take over for him. They purchased Coast Shoes in Pacoima, but still had the other shoe factory in Sun Valley, CA. They kept both factories for about a year, trying to decide what to do.

Harout's Dad then decided that it was time for him to retire so they closed the Sun Valley location and moved everything to Pacoima. After staying in Pacoima for a few years, they moved to their current location in San Fernando, CA.

They currently attend only a few shows a year and are always happy to see their customers when they travel. They still, 18 years later, attend the same dance event that they started at in Palm Springs, CA every September. They are very thankful for the constant support of their customers.