TAMMY COAKLEY/FOR THE EXPRESS
Above, the exterior of Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop is pictured. Below, Fisher’s offers a wide variety of footwear to choose from, including cowboy boots.

MADISONBURG — Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop was opened in the early 1970s by Melvin and Christ Fisher. Eventually the business, which is located at 201 Madisonburg Pike Road in the heart of Madisonburg, was bought by Daniel and Sarah Lapp who continue to run the store as a family owned business.

Lapp was a former harness maker in Lancaster from 1980 until buying the store from the Fishers and moving to Centre County in 2006.

The store offers an abundance of leather products, everything from footwear to saddles to cycling attire, and personal wares such as wallets, purses and belts. In addition to leather goods, the store also offers tack and equestrian supplies to keep your horse happy and healthy.

In the shoe department at Fisher’s, you will find a wide variety of footwear for your individual wearing needs. Whether it be shoes or boots for your career, hobby or for casual wear, Fisher’s strives to meet your expectations by offering a large selection to choose from at affordable prices. There are steel-toed work shoes, boots for motorcycling, mud boots and cowboy boots, from the smallest of feet to the largest and widest. The Lapps carry name brands such as Red Wing, Wolverine, Carolina, Rocky, Ariat, Muck, Justin and many more.

Brand names of sneakers and Crocs are available in all sizes for the entire family in many different colors and styles and all are attractively displayed to catch your eye and comfortably fit your feet.

TAMMY COAKLEY/FOR THE EXPRESS
Above, the exterior of Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop is pictured. Below, Fisher’s offers a wide variety of footwear to choose from, including cowboy boots.

In addition to the Lapps, who live next door to their business, the store operates with the help of one full time employee and three part time employees.

In addition to selling new shoes, the shop offers shoe repairs. Adam Byler is a full time employee who does the majority of the shoe and tack repair work. Byler, a trusted employee for the past four years, has also repaired a few ball gloves and other leather items when the need has risen. Byler also helps with sales, shelf stocking and customer service at the shop.

Former owner, Melvin Fisher, continues to work part-time at the store to assist customers and to handle zipper repairs in boots and heavy coats.

The interior of the shop also features displays of leather jackets, vests, chaps, boots and saddle bags for the motor cycling enthusiast. There are leather wallets, purses and belts for both men and women. A section of the shop is well stocked with saddles, bridles, halters and medical supplies (ointments, wormers and feed supplements) for the horses kept in your stables.

During the first few weeks of the pandemic business may have been a bit slower than normal, but customers, both new and old, frequent the establishment. And the Lapps have been happy for the business.

“We’re faced right now with a real challenge to get shoes and boots into the store. I am still waiting for boots and shoes that I placed orders for some six months ago. Unfortunately those orders are stuck somewhere in the shipping process, whether it be sitting on cargo ships in ports or in warehouses awaiting truckers to move them. Orders I placed last August, that normally should take about three months to arrive, are just now coming into the shop,” said Lapp.

The Lapps attend spring and fall trade shows trying to get their hands on footwear and supplies to keep their inventory stocked. Lapp recently returned from a trade show in Atlanta, Ga., to purchase boots and shoes. He was successful in obtaining some, but “anything that needs to come across the water, whether it is brand named footwear or some component to finish making them, the shipping has been delayed,” said Lapp.

“Red Wing, Danner and Carolina boots are made in the United States, but one small part may be delaying the completion cycle. Right now, Red Wing has over 600,000 boots and shoes that have been ordered but are delayed for some reason,” he said.

Lapp has also travelled to the Poconos this spring to a trade show featuring equestrian products to stock his store shelves. “Things like shampoos, vitamins and liniments that are used for horses,” he said.

Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop, along with other Amish businesses and merchants in the Penns Valley and Brush Valley areas of central Pennsylvania, will be offering special sales and discounted prices during their annual Spring Round-Up Days which are planned for March 31, April 1 and April 2 this year.

“We’ll be open and offering free coffee and donuts to those who come to the store,” Lapp finished saying.

Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop is open weekdays and on Saturday’s to accommodate your browsing and shopping needs. Visit the website and Facebook page for store hours. The telephone number for the shop is 814-349-8266.

Fisher’s Shoe and Saddle Shop

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201 Madisonburg Pike Road

Madisonburg, PA 16852

814-349-8266

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