Meet Robert: 15 Pairs of Hubbard Shoes

Community is a cornerstone of Samuel Hubbard, and the heart of our community is our customers. The stories of our customers pulse through our brand and impact everything from the styles of our shoes to the way we engage online. We highlight these stories in order to show the rich diversity of our community and the many aspects that contribute to the Samuel Hubbard brand. Each story is part of our journey. Where will your Hubbards take you?

Robert's Journey of Customer Success

I own 15 pairs of Hubbards. I spoke to Chris in customer service about the Hubbard Flights and he sorted everything for me. It made me feel very good about Samuel Hubbard.

I’ve been in real estate for 20 years, though I’ve recently decided to not renew my license. Even though I had been successful, I felt it was time for a change. I grew up in a family business — my family had a farm with a store in Hollywood, Florida and it’s still there and still a success 70 years later —so I worked my whole life in customer service and understand the importance of keeping your customers happy.

That translated into everything I’ve done, including real estate. I also had my own business in Florida for 14 years before real estate, which was also successful, but I had to sell that when my husband and I moved to Maryland. It was a card, gift, and stationery store called “Grand Central Stationery”. I loved it and had so much fun and eventually had two locations.

The Inspiration Behind Grand Central Stationery

Why stationery? I looked around and saw an available space on Las Olas Boulevard and thought, what type of business would work here? Las Olas is like the Rodeo Drive of Fort Lauderdale, with boutique shops and million dollar homes leading out to the ocean. Engraved stationery can be quite lucrative, but it is also an opportunity to help people during important events in their lives, such as weddings, birth announcements, etc. Las Olas didn’t have a stationery store, and even though I knew nothing about stationery at the time, I learned as much as I could about it and eventually the store was a success. The business is still there, even though I have moved on to new endeavors.

Have you ever heard of Crane Stationery? It’s one of the oldest stationery manufacturers and their paper is 100% cotton. They make the paper our money is printed on. Eventually, I was among the top five percent of Crane dealers in the country. When you look into all the aspects of creating paper, it’s quite fascinating. When you receive a letter, on paper, it is so much more meaningful than just receiving an email. People loved to just come into the store, listen to the music and look at all the fun stuff.

After Grand Central Stationery, I didn’t feel the same type of business would work in my new location, so when a friend of mine suggested real estate, I decided to go for it. I believe I was successful because I actually cared about my clients’ needs. I always responded to calls and emails, and listened to their likes and dislikes. I would be on my feet all day, showing houses, and that’s when I started wearing Samuel Hubbard. I had seen their ads in the New York Times, and I learned the importance of good, quality shoes.

The Importance of Comfortable Shoes

The first one I purchased was the Hubbard Free in black and then I purchased another in brown. Over the years I bought a dress pair, Tipping Point, then a pair of Rainy Day Re-Boot for the winter, and I kept buying new colors and styles. They fit perfectly right away.

They feel very comfortable, and they’re very supportive. When I had Grand Central Stationery, I didn’t have Hubbards and my feet would feel tired at the end of the day. I recently found out that I have flat feet, but they feel fine when I’m wearing my Hubbards. The dress shoes, too, feel just as comfortable as the casual shoes. At the end of the day, after walking around in my Samuel Hubbards, I don’t notice any difference from when I first put them on in the morning.