Saipan Shoes Christmas sale; new store hours ongoing  

Saipan Shoes is located in the building where Life in Son Fellowship is located at the corner of Middle Road and Gualo Rain Road in Gualo Rai. (MARK RABAGO)

Saipan Shoes will be having a Christmas sale and new store hours starting this week.

Owner Lydia Li said starting today, Dec. 12, until the end of the holiday season in early January, the Gualo Rai shoe store will be having up to 50% off on their over 1,000 selection of shoes and other items.

To make it more convenient for Christmas shoppers, Saipan Shoes also extended its store hours from 11am-7pm to 10am-8pm.

Saipan Shoes carries a gamut of men’s and women’s shoe styles ranging from dress shoes, safety shoes, running shoes, sports shoes, hiking shoes, and sandals. (MARK RABAGO)

Li said despite the island still feeling the effects of COVID-19, business has been good for Saipan Shoes since opening last February. 

Saipan Shoes started when Li’s bestfriend needed shoes for her daughter’s last-minute school activity. 

Saipan Shoes also sells socks, fashion jewelry, hip bags, baby clothes, shirts for families, and trinkets or small items that are handy stocking stuffers or exchange gift ideas this holiday season. (MARK RABAGO)

“She cannot find the right size and the right design on island. Because of this her daughter told her, ‘I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go anymore.’”

This became a light-bulb moment for Li as she suddenly thought of opening her own shoe store, especially in the wake of Payless Shoesource closing its business in the CNMI. 

She added that while there are some people who buy shoes online even before Payless Shoesource went out of business, buying shoes face-to-face is still a better experience than ordering online. 

“Sometimes, the shoes are too narrow and the sizes are too big or small. It also takes awhile to get the right shoe when you ship it back. So, having a shoe store on island is really convenient for the community,” said Li. 

Opening a shoe store also came at an opportune time for Li, as the COVID-19 pandemic essentially shuttered down her bed-and-breakfast business due to the lack of tourists. 

Saipan Shoes carries a gamut of men’s and women’s shoe styles ranging from dress shoes, safety shoes, running shoes, sports shoes, hiking shoes, and sandals. They also have children’s shoes to boot. 

While what they carry are mostly generic brands from China, Li said they also have the occasional U.S. brand shoes they’ve bought from sales in the mainland. 

“They’re very affordable, comfortable, and sturdy shoes that come in all sizes as well as wide and narrow. We have a lot of return customers who can attest to the quality of our shoes.”

Li said a common anecdote of customers at Saipan Shoes is how the store has saved them from a desperate situation like her best friend’s experience. 

“The other day we had a customer who got invited to Korea for a wedding. He was looking for formal shoes and found one at one of the stores on Saipan but it cost over $100. He didn’t buy those shoes because he said he will only be using them one time. Good thing he stopped by our store and bought an affordable but stylish pair of formal shoes.”

Asked what shoes are their bestsellers, Li readily said it’s their rubber shoes. 

“Because we carry big sizes up to 14 and wide sizes—for both men and women. And anyone can have them for as low as $15 because they’re currently 50% off.” 

She added that their formal shoes have also been a hit, as “they are made in China but the design is from Europe.” 

Aside from shoes, Saipan Shoes also sells socks, fashion jewelry, hip bags, baby clothes, shirts for families, and trinkets or small items that are handy stocking stuffers or exchange gift ideas this holiday season.

Li also gave kudos to the government for issuing out stimulus cards that helped small businesses like hers cope with the economic slowdown brought about by the pandemic. 

“This year we have the stimulus card so I really appreciate the government because that stimulus card helped our business a lot.”

On how Saipan Store has maintained its affordable prices, Li said her philosophy has always been to try and sell more despite getting low profits.  

“I didn’t really make a price hike despite the rising cost of doing business. I want the price lower and sell a lot and just keep a little bit of profit.” 

Saipan Shoes is located in the building where Life in Son Fellowship is located at the corner of Middle Road and Gualo Rain Road in Gualo Rai. For more information, call (670) 783-7388.