Popular Shoe Store Chain Closing 400 Stores, Will it Include Illinois?

The retail apocalypse marched on in 2024, leaving shuttered storefronts in its wake and emptying more malls. As we head into 2025, it looks like a popular shoe store is next in line to tighten its laces and bow out of struggling locations.

This retail closure announcement adds to an already grim lineup of 2024 casualties, including Walgreens, Sears, and CVS. Even the likes of Walmart and Pizza Hut weren’t spared.

For Illinois shoppers, it’s like every stroll through the mall now feels like a guessing game:

“What’s still open?”

I know I'm a big part of the problem for so many retail chains. More and more, I avoid the stores altogether and buy online. When it comes to shoes, they are an item I need to try on, but I'm cool with having them shipped and just exchanging what doesn't work.

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Retail Blues: Foot Locker Joins the End-of-Year Closure Club

As 2024 limps toward the finish line, another retailer has announced it’s hitting the brakes—on underperforming stores, that is.

Foot Locker, which owns Champs Sports, will be closing 400 locations by 2026, including 275 Foot Lockers and 125 Champs. Among the burning questions: will this “reset” strategy include stores in Illinois or even Rockford? Considering recent retail closures statewide, it’s safe to keep those fingers crossed.

MORE: This Abandoned Factory In Rockford Is Full Of Vintage Treasures