By Sarah Halliday

A small shoe store lies empty after more than 20 years of service in south Riverdale. Sneakers-R-Me, the local shoe store on West 235th Street near Johnson Avenue is closed and locked, shoe rack skeletons leaning on the bare windows.

“Since our daughter started walking, she hasn’t had a pair of outdoor shoes from anywhere else,” said Susan Keith, assistant professor of journalism at Rutgers. “I loved that I could run in on the way to the playground and buy her shoes without getting in the car and driving to Westchester County or planning a trip into Manhattan.”

Others had similar stories.

“We brought our daughter there several times over the couple of years we’ve been in Riverdale. The owners were always friendly, seemed very good with children and took a lot of time with us to make sure we were satisfied. It’s a shame to see them go,” said Dan Rindler, director of Roots and Wings Studio in Riverdale.

Sneakers-R-Me was one of the few independent shoe stores left in Riverdale. With two Payless Shoe Sources within walking distance, the small discount store had a hard time competing, people who work in the neighborhood said.

“My expenses became overwhelming, and my debts started to pile up,” said Audrey Ott, the store owner and a longtime Riverdale resident. “I had no choice. As heartbreaking as it was, I had to leave.”

While not everyone was a fan of the store, as demonstrated by several negative emails sent back and forth on an e-mail discussion group called Riverdale Families, Ms. Ott will always remember her customers fondly. “I am lonesome for my store, but I will miss my customers. They were like family to me.”

“I loved the man and woman who ran the place, who were always so sweet and so careful with fittings,” said Ms. Keith. “I just can’t imagine where we’ll go for shoes now.”