What do you expect when you walk into Brown’s Shoe Fit? Excellent service and a staff that makes you feel like part of the family. I must admit I am a little biased as this is one of my family’s favorite places to shop in Cheyenne!

The owner, Eric Wetzel, was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, into the Brown’s Fit Shoe family. His dad owned a store in Alva, OK, which is where Eric’s family moved when he was a young kid. You could say that Eric grew up in the shoe business. His first job was at his dad’s store, vacuuming, taking trash out, stocking shelves and learning the ropes of the business.

When Eric was in high school, he went to work for Walmart, starting as a cart pusher and working his way up into management. After high school, he continued working at Walmart while obtaining a degree from the auto collision technology program at Northwestern Technology Center. Upon graduating from this program, he went to live in Fort Collins, CO, where he worked as an auto paint prepper at Cooper Autobody while still working at Walmart. 

In August of 2004, Eric left Walmart and Cooper Autobody and returned to the shoe business. He entered the management training program at Brown’s Shoe Fit in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It was during this part of his life that Eric met his wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was also in Brown’s Shoe Fit management in Mason City, Iowa. They were friends for four years before they began dating in 2008. Their courtship was quick, and in November of 2009, they were married in Cheyenne. They now have two beautiful children, Emma, who is 4, and Everlee, who is 7 months old. Their family is completed with their adorable boxers, Gus and Jax!

In January of 2006, Eric purchased his first Brown’s Shoe Fit store in Ottawa, KS. Six months later, he sold out of that store and bought into the Scottsbluff, NE, store, where he stayed for nine months. In May of 2007, Eric moved to Cheyenne, WY, and purchased the Brown’s Shoe Fit located at that time off of Dell Range. Since then, Eric has done wonderful things for the Brown’s Shoe Fit family! They moved to their current location on Frontier Mall Drive in October of 2017 and expanded the store in October of 2021.

When asked what is unique about his business, Eric replied that it is family oriented. The staff is close-knit, and you can feel that when you walk into their store. Their level of service and selection of product is exceptional! They can service an entire family in most categories. They take the most pride in their customer service and staff as well as the overall growth of the store. They support the Cheyenne community through outreach, including Element Church’s Back-to-School Bash, the Laramie Foster Closet, Kicks for Kids, local sports teams and many more. 

When not at Brown’s Shoe Fit, you will find Eric with his family. They love utilizing the walking trails in The Pointe and patronizing local restaurants. They are avid Broncos and UW fans. Eric loves to golf and work out at Gold’s Gym. You might also see him out working on his yard. If you do, please stop and say hello!

Not only does the Wetzel family support The Pointe community through their store, but they are also residents of The Pointe themselves! They have lived in The Pointe since 2018. They love the community aspect of the neighborhood as well as the parks, walking trails and the HOA. If you ask their daughter, Emma, she loves the park and her backyard! The Wetzels are grateful for finding Cheyenne and for how much they love their community! They are looking forward to raising their family and retiring here one day. They feel that the support from their community over the past 15 years has been phenomenal.

Eric loves Stroll The Pointe and is proud to be a sponsor of your local magazine! He enjoys reading the magazine and seeing familiar faces. He enjoys learning more about his neighbors. Please stop by his store today! They can be reached at 307-632-6293 or at 5116 Frontier Mall Drive, Suite 600. They can’t wait to see you and welcome you to their Brown’s Shoe Fit family!