JACKSON TWP. — When Joe Luck started selling work boots in 1919, he used a pushcart to get his product to Akron rubber workers.

Today, family-owned Lucky Shoes has stores in Belden Village, Fairlawn, Strongsville and Columbus, with eight more New Balance locations, four stores featuring Stride Rite shoes and two Vionic locations.

John Luck, Lucky Shoes president, represents the fourth generation of the family to lead the business his great-grandfather started. Meanwhile, the stores serve the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Joe Luck's early customers.

"We know who we are, and we've stuck to it for all these years," John Luck said.

The independent shoe retailer strives to offer brands that customers want, while introducing them to a variety of high-quality products, Luck said. "We also ensure the right fits, and we are passionate about that. If we don't have your size, that disappoints us. We feel it in the gut," he said.

After starting with the pushcart 100 years ago, Joe Luck opened a storefront in Akron's Firestone Park neighborhood on the city's south side. In addition to shoes, the store sold yard goods and menswear.

Two of Joe Luck's children, Milton and Leonard, took over the business in 1946. In 1955, they opened the family's first shoe-only store in the Fairlawn Plaza, and that set the company's course. Lucky Shoes opened a store in Belden Village in 1981. In 2004, the company moved to its present location at 4828 Everhard Road NW in the Belden Village Commons shopping plaza.

Betty Roether of Perry Township has worked for Lucky's at its Belden Village locations since the company opened there. She actually was hired by Lucky's in 1976 while still in college after selling Stride Rite shoes while in high school. Roether said Milton Luck, John Luck's grandfather, phoned her mother and asked permission for her daughter to drive to Akron for an interview.

Roether said the Lucks offered her an opportunity. "It's a fabulous company."

She manages the Belden Village store and trains employees on the store's array of products.

"We answer people's needs," Roether said.

Lucky stores have certified pedorthists on staff who fill prescriptions from podiatrists and orthopedic doctors for orthotic shoes and inserts. The stores also use a pedigraph to measure a customer's foot, check the arch height and look for pressure points. The specialists help store employees as they work with customers to find the best fit, Luck said.

While fit is important, Lucky stores keep pace with changing styles. The company partners with a variety of brands, including Stride Rite for children, New Balance, Vionic and Dansko, among others. Stores also carry accessories, including brand name bags and wallets.

Luck said he's proud of the business built by his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, but he can't rest on that reputation.

"We are always looking forward, always looking to bring the best we can to customers. They expect it from us and it's the right thing to do," he said.