Chinatown family shoe store to close after 50 years, owner, 70, doesn't want children taking over

After serving customers at People's Park Centre for about 52 years, Champion Shoe Co. will be closing its doors for good on Jun. 15.

The current manager, Grace Chai, took over the shoe retail business from her father after he turned 90 in 2021 and wanted to rest.

She was 65 herself at the time, but she and her family were reluctant to put an end to the business her father had devoted so much of himself to.

"We couldn't let it go, couldn't let go of the business he built with his own hands," she told Mothership. "We felt that we should give it a beautiful ending."

Now at 70, Chai believes it is her time to retire and hopefully provide that beautiful ending to this family legacy by sharing its rich history.

From production to retail

Though Champion Shoe Co. would later on sell only shoes purchased from suppliers, Chai's father Chai Thong originally established the business to make and sell his own designs.

Its roots go all the way back to the 1950s, when Chai Thong came to Singapore from Johor at just 20 years old to become a shoemaker's apprentice.

After learning the craft, he opened a factory in Geylang in the 1960s, specialising in producing men's shoes, every pair of which he designed himself.

At first, the company would sell the finished products to shoe stores around Singapore. Then, in 1970, Chai Thong set up the first Champion Shoe Co. retail store in the newly completed People's Park Complex.

Over the next few years, the business expanded into a total of six outlets — two each in People's Park Complex, People's Park Centre, and Lucky Plaza.

Besides their own designs, the stores also began to offer imported, well-known footwear brands such as Clarks, Bally, and Birkenstock.

A champion of quality footwear

Champion Shoe Co. gradually established itself among the public as a reliable place for footwear.

"Why did we call ourselves 'Champion'? It's because the leather of the shoes my father made was very good," Chai said. "He would always use good and durable leather. His designs were also rather good and sturdy. The shoes can last for many years. That's why some people called him 'Champion'."

"My father was a very hard-working person, and most importantly, he had a very strong will. That's why his business was such a success."

The brand thus earned the trust of customers, many of whom would look to them when they needed a pair of shoes for their wedding.

Sales were good and busy. Chai recalled how, when it got especially busy at the end of the year, she and her siblings would stay up to 2am at the Geylang factory, helping to glue shoe linings and pack the shoes in boxes.

Letting go

As the decades passed, however, their employees grew older, and it was difficult to hire new people to work at the company.

The family decided to scale down and close several outlets, until eventually, only one in People's Park Centre remained, holding up since around 1974.

In 2021, Chai's father, wanting to reduce the burden at his age, decided to wind down the business.

But Chai did not want to give up so soon on the brand her father had built, nor the trust his long-time customers had in it.

She thus took over operations and kept it going for the next five years, with help from her husband.

It was only after her father passed in July 2025 that she began to think about letting it go and taking time for herself and her husband, too.

"The main reason [we're closing down] is because we're not that young anymore," she said. "We're thinking of [enjoying] our remaining time by, like, travelling, or taking up some activities. Now there are a lot of government-run senior activity centres, and I would like to join them, but I can't make the time."

She also does not want her two daughters, both in their thirties, to take over as she had done. "Young people should take the path of young people," she explained. "I don't wish to create any burden for them."

The end of an era

Many customers are not ready to see the store go.

A woman Mothership spoke to said she had known the brand since its days at the People's Park Complex for about 20 years now.

"I like that their designs are more unique, not something I can find in other stores," she said. "When I knew that they were closing down, I felt a bit sad because it's a very old shop. I have known [Chai] ever since she was very young."

There were also customers who reacted more emotionally to the news.

"Some were very upset, asking why we had to close," she said. "They said it's such a pity, because Singapore no longer has many of this kind of shoe store. I agreed, there are mainly department stores and small branches in Singapore. There aren't shoe stores like this anymore where you can spend a whole day browsing."

"But still, I feel that everything has to come to an end at the right time."

Remembering the legacy

Even on a Monday afternoon, the store was never empty during the time Mothership visited, with people popping in every now and then to look at the shoes on display.

Despite the storewide discount of 50 per cent and above, Chai occasionally offered to reduce the price even further when a customer queried about a pair.

A while ago, there were still around 300 pairs of shoes Chai had to clear, but this number dropped steadily over the past few days.

She would try to reduce prices to clear as much stock as she could before the store's last day, she said. For any that remained afterwards, she has yet to decide what to do with them.

More than just good sales, the beautiful ending she wishes for the business is one that celebrates its long history.

"These few days...some customers would visit, even if they do not buy anything, and comment on how long this store has been around," Chai said with pride. "They would all say something like that, so you can see that many people still recognise the brand."

Thanking long-time customers for their support, she hopes that Champion Shoe Co. will stay in people's memories.