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Nov 10, 2023

The SAS General Store is located at 101 New Laredo Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78211.

Just like Penner's claims authentic guayaberas and all the tops, hats, and shoes necessary for living the lowrider life, San Antonio Shoemakers, known locally as SAS, will forever be top dog when it comes to comfortable, quality-made shoes. Locals make their jokes about the brand, as the orthopedic products are particularly popular among senior citizens, but many may be unaware of the other old-timey goodness the store has to offer.

SAS operates its General Store and Factory Outlet at 101 New Laredo Hwy., San Antonio, TX 78211 on the city's Southside. Customers of the brand can find discounted prices and shop a variety of footwear, but there's something for everyone here throughout the grounds, expanded from the company's first factory. Within the General Store, visitors can find a feel similar to Cracker Barrel's shop with cutesy finds and themed sections perfect for finding gifts.

The difference between the SAS General Store and Cracker Barrel, however, is the charm. Even without shopping, walking the grounds at SAS lets visitors be transported to a different era in time, one that allows them to relax and enjoy the simple things in life.

Kids will get a kick out of the bull on display on the sales floor.

I visited the Southside gem on a cloudy weekday afternoon for the first time in nearly a decade and was happy to find it just as quaint as I remembered it. Shelves of SAS shoes fill most of the space, but sections of the store feature throwbacks that will no doubt get visitors in their feelings.

A vintage shoe shine chair is displayed on a patio area outside the store.

San Antonio Shoemakers was founded in 1976 by Terry Armstrong and Lew Hayden.

Browse the shelves at the SAS Factory Outlet and you'll even be able to see a couple of workers creating the shoes by hand.

Vintage decor like 1950s-era Coca-Cola signs and brooms that look like props from The Beverly Hillbillies are available for purchase from the gift shop areas of the store, as are home items tailored to the rustic aesthetic. There's goodies to take home like a mix of Texas-made salsas, syrups, jams, and butters. Kids will take notice of the modest toys up for grabs, from play farms and work trucks to marbles and signs displaying cartoons from a simpler era, like Tom and Jerry and Tweety Bird.

It's in the snacks, however, that visitors are most likely to splurge. Well, sort of.

Fill up your bucket to the rim and score a handy haul for $5.

Throwback candies are available for sale at the SAS General Store.

SAS certainly loves Coca-Cola with plenty of vintage signs on display and for sale.

Folks of a certain age will find candies that had their heyday a few decades ago, from Cow Tales and Charleston Chews to a variety of saltwater taffies. Seniors and little ones alike will have their fun filling up a red bucket to the rim with the candies of their choice and securing their sweet and tart haul for less than $5. I was particularly thrilled to see the root beer candies that were always the lucky score after the piñata broke open.

You can enjoy a scoop over at the ice cream parlor, which gives a feel of the 1950s.

In addition to sweets to take home, visitors can grab some snacks to enjoy at the store. The cash-only counter is a must-stop with its freshly-made popcorn for just 5 cents, while a Coke will cost you 10 cents. There's also a makeshift ice cream parlor, complete with a jukebox and a counter off to the side, that scoops up the creamy goodness for just a couple of bucks.

A popcorn and Coca-Cola will only cost you 15 cents at the SAS General Store.

Visitors can also tour the factory for free Monday through Thursday at 9:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. with each tour lasting around 45 minutes. Miguel and I were sad we missed the tour by three minutes (word to the wise: SAS takes these start times seriously), but consoled ourselves with some popcorn and Coke that we enjoyed in a simple seating area. As we sat, he talked about his mother's time working at the factory some 15 years ago while I shared my memories of visiting the General Store with my late grandmother who had a love for all things cutesy.

Vintage cars are on display outside the General Store, including a snazzy 1962 Cadillac De Ville pictured on the left.

I was fully relaxed by the time we were strolling the grounds to appreciate the vintage cars on display. I forgot that it was the middle of the day and amidst the changing stretch of the Southside. That's what spending some time at SAS will do to you. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation or living in another era. You’ll be able to treat your loved ones to a no-frills, yet heartwarming experience filled with blasts from the past for older San Antonians and wholesome finds for younger residents. The Coke and popcorn may only cost you the spare change in the cupholder of your car, but the memories made here are priceless.