Bootlegger's signs replace Melnick's name on downtown Laconia shoe store

The sale of Melnick’s Family Shoe Store on Main Street in downtown Laconia to Miltner’s Shoes of Rochester, NH, took place more than a year ago. The full impact of the sale was not felt until yesterday, however, when the Melnick’s signs came down and Bootlegger’s signs went up on what has been one of Laconia’s retail icons since 1936.

The Barlo Signs, Inc., installation team made short work of replacing the Melnick’s signs with Bootlegger’s, the new owner’s name for its group of eight outlets in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Celebrating their 45th year in business, Bootlegger’s owners are no strangers to the family shoe business. They are also well known in the Lakes Region. Their first store was in Center Harbor. There are Bootlegger’s in Meredith and Wolfeboro. In addition to what are now three Lakes Region locations, Bootlegger outlets can also be found in North Conway, Rochester, Stratham, Keene, and Greenfield, MA.

The Laconia Bootlegger’s is one of the largest. It features more than 100 different brands. There are thousands of pairs of shoes and hundreds of different styles. According to Bootlegger’s Vice President of Marketing Ed Millette, “We feature footwear for the entire family. In addition to featuring the area’s largest selection of winter boots, we can meet everyone’s athletic, hiking, and work boot needs. We also specialize in casual and dress shoes for both men and women.”

Kevin Sullivan began his life in the shoe business at Melnick’s when he was 14-years old. In 1979, at age 24, he purchased the business from founder Sam Melnick. “I knew the sign change was part of the deal,” Sullivan said yesterday. “But I have to admit to suffering a bit of a shock when I drove up Main Street and saw that the name that had been a fixture there for more than 70 years was gone.”

Sullivan recalled that Sam Melnick and his son Mike were extremely good to him. “Sam just loved to sell shoes. Mike did the buying. When I was in college, Mike started taking me to the manufacturer’s shows in New York City. I learned so much from the two of them,” he said.

“Mike moved to Arizona after I purchased the business, but his father stayed with me for eight more years. One of the high points of my relationship with Sam Melnick was the 80th birthday party we had for him at the store.”

Sullivan noted that the family shoe store is a bit of a dinosaur. “The northeast is about the only place where it has any more than a foothold. I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunities that came my way.”

Bootlegger’s Millette remarked, as the signs were being changed, “Melnick’s long standing commitment to quality is one of the reasons we were attracted to downtown Laconia. We are excited to be a long term tenant, and we believe the name change is a further indication of our long range commitment to the community.”