There are many breeds of shoe dogs, all varying pedigrees. But there might never again be a purebred like Danny Wasserman. The man had a nose for shoes, merchandising, buying, brands, marketing, customers, inventory, trends…you name it. He was a bloodhound in his uncanny ability to discover the next big shoe/brand, and a bulldog in keeping his 60-year-old, family-owned-and-operated business (Tip Tops Shoes, Tip Top Shoes Kids, and West NYC) thriving on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Wasserman also had Golden Retriever qualities: He was friendly, funny, and fiercely loyal. Above all, he exhibited a pack mentality, firmly believing that the industry was in this together. He would gladly offer insights and assistance, tapping his wealth of industry knowledge to help anyone who asked—and often those who didn’t. On the flipside, he continually sought the opinions and wisdom of others. There was always more to sniff out, more to learn, and Wasserman was ever doggedly in pursuit. It was 365, 24-7. That was just how the man was wired. He loved every aspect of the footwear business. After exchanging pleasantries, Wasserman’s next question invariably would be: So, have you seen anything new or interesting?
“Danny lived this business,” says CNCPTS owner Tarek Hassan, who considered Wasserman a trusted colleague and dear friend of nearly 40 years. “He didn’t just understand brands and products; he understood people, too. He knew his customers and community. He understood what the market needed and what was trending. He had a great vision about what was going to happen and what would work.” Hassan adds, “There aren’t many people left in this industry as dialed into the business as Danny was.”
Sam Spears, president of Ara North America, deemed Wasserman the ultimate product maven with an “impeccable” eye. “His years in the industry, his hours spent every day in his store working with customers made him such,” Spears says. “Combine that with his honesty and, sometimes very frank way of communication, and he wasn’t just a shoe dog but an Alpha shoe dog.”
Robert Greenberg, CEO of Skechers, says Wasserman was the shoe business. “Danny’s passion for product was always so precise,” he says. “He was a legend in the shoe world—bigger than people who run hundreds of stores.”
In addition to being “omnipresent” in his stores, what made Wasserman unique was his array of exceptional talents, says Bruce Kaplan, CRO of Impo Intl. Kaplan likens him to a five-tool player in baseball, with the rare ability to hit for average and power, field and run well, and possess great arm strength. “Danny was a five-tool retailer. He had a great eye for product, a firm grasp of marketing, the ability to anticipate and react to trends, he was terrific with numbers, and, from a human resources standpoint, he was so caring of the people who worked for him,” Kaplan says, noting that Tip Top Shoes has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in the industry. Above all, Kaplan says, Wasserman was a gentleman. “He could speak intelligently and quickly about all relevant industry matters but, in the 30 years that I knew him, I never heard him raise his voice once.”
David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, singles out Wasserman’s uncanny ability to see the shoe future. Tip Top Shoes was one of the first accounts to carry the brand in the U.S., beginning on the heels of Woodstock. “Danny introduced Birkenstock to New York and has since put tens of thousands of locals and tourists from around the world into our products, along with many celebrities,” Kahan says. That includes selling Yoko Ono a pair that she bought for John Lennon. “During Covid, Danny and (his son) Lester set up a table outside the store and sold Birkenstocks to passersby. Where there was a will, Danny always found a way.” Above all, Kahan considered Wasserman a valued mentor and cherished friend. “I don’t think a week has gone by in more than 20 years that I didn’t talk or text with him multiple times,” he says. “I’m going to miss him dearly.”
Spears says Ara owes a similar debt of gratitude to Wasserman. The retailer had an eye for quality and quickly became a fan when the brand entered the U.S market in the ’90s. “He and his staff introduced Ara to a lot of consumers who had not heard of us but now are lifelong brand ambassadors,” Spears says. “He knew Ara would provide what his customers wanted and needed, and that would keep them coming back to Tip Top for more.” Spears adds, “So many brands owe so much to him. All of us are better because of him.”
For Gary Champion, president of Clarks Americas, the mentorship/friendship with Wasserman stretches back 34 years. Wasserman basically introduced him to the industry. “Danny took time to share his extensive knowledge around merchandising, design, competitors’ strengths, and where Clarks’ opportunities lay,” Champion recalls. Then there were the invaluable product and branding tutorials Danny gave while walking trade shows with Champion over the years. “He’s a terrific product person. He listened to his customers and translated that knowledge into influencing brand design, last shapes, material offerings, and size ranges,” he says. “Danny knew the shoe business inside and out, and he was a hell of a merchant.” Above all, Champion says Wasserman was a terrific human being. “Danny was kindhearted, compassionate, would always ask how you were doing and care about your answer, and was always offering a hand,” he says.
Rusty Hall, CEO of Mephisto USA, says Wasserman’s incredible talent as a sounding board was a cornerstone of the brand’s long-running partnership with Tip Top Shoes. “He always spoke his mind, but you never felt that it was personal,” Hall says. “Danny just wanted to make you better.” He adds that Wasserman had his finger on the pulse of the business in New York and beyond. He was nothing short of a shoe oracle. “I’ll miss our touch-base conversations where he would often suggest, ‘Have you thought about this?’” Hall says. “He was so often spot-on. Our industry will miss Danny’s presence. I will, for sure.”
Steve Lax, former CEO of Naot, believes Wasserman was a wannabe shoe designer at heart. “He always had a suggestion on how to change our shoes,” he laughs. Wasserman’s suggestions were usually insightful. Lax notes that Tip Top was one of the first retailers to carry Naot, starting in 1989. He saw big potential before anyone else. “Danny always had room for Naot in his store, and he loved that he could order at 3 p.m. and the shoes would be in his store the next morning,” Lax says. Since moving to the neighborhood about 15 years ago, Lax has been a regular visitor to Tip Top Shoes to check in with Wasserman and talk about life and, of course, shoes. “He was a friend, and he will be missed,” he says.
Ditto for Justin Orrell-Jones, president/CEO Finn Comfort USA. Since 1995, he has enjoyed invaluable one-on-one time talking shop with Wasserman. He’ll miss “the dinner conversations, sitting with him across from the men’s wall in Tip Top, and even the occasional chastisement,” Orrell-Jones recalls. “Danny had an incredible gift for identifying great product and the potential in brands. He could suggest adjustments to a shoe that were invariably an improvement and always on-brand.” He adds, “He was a masterful retailer. He bought the right shoes and reordered what he should, when he should. He knew the state of his backroom. He even knew where to find something on his desk!” •
