Our Story: A Family Tradition

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As a teen living in Romania (now Hungary), John Heisler (pictured above) learned the trade of leather crafting and came to the states to escape war. Starting his life in Crystal Lake, he harvested ice from our lake to make a living. With the money he made harvesting ice, he purchased tools and leather and was given bench space at a local hardware store to ply his trade...and so began his business as a harness, shoe maker and repairer. Heisler's Bootery followed, opening its doors in 1908.

Today, Heisler's Bootery continues as a traditional sit and fit shoe store specializing in finding the right footwear for comfort and life.  We are a long standing business that provides continuity and a sense of identity to Crystal Lake.  

We actively support local history and education by partnering with the Crystal Lake Historical Society and Historic Preservation Commission, offering space for displays and helping sell event tickets and materials. The store is a hub for community engagement, where customers often come to discuss the town’s history and seek insight. 

We have donated thousands of pairs of shoes to various community groups including Veterans, Lac du Flambeau, WI  Ojibwa and Latino communities, displaced individuals, and churches (local & overseas).  Shoe boxes are donated regularly to Samaritan's Purse and local schools.

Heisler's Bootery and the Heisler family have received many awards over the years including Best of the Fox, Mayoral Proclamation, Business of the Year, and the Chamber of Commerce PICA award.

The Teckler Building has stood proudly at the corner of Williams and Brink for over 100 years. Built in 1910 by local real estate tycoon, Charles L. Teckler, and completed in March 1911, the Teckler Building was erected to fill a local need for a large meeting space/banquet hall. The Modern Woodmen of America (fraternal organization) was the driving force to have Teckler’s building include this second floor amenity. The building was designed so the large meeting space/banquet hall would have no central support posts or columns. Iron pillars were used in the wall formation, extending from basement to roof, with huge iron girders for the roof supports. This eliminated the need for central support columns.

Other organizations to use the hall in the early days included the American Legion, Royal Neighbors, Mystic Workers of the World, and Bethany Lutheran Church. Today, the second floor hall is known as 'Old Towne Hall,' and continues to host dances, public gatherings, and meetings of every kind.

The street level of the Teckler Building has three separate retail spaces. The largest of these is closest to the corner. It was originally leased to the North Shore Electric Company (Public Service Co.), with a grocery store and millinary (hat) shop filling the two smaller spaces. Through the years, a wide variety of businesses have occupied the smaller first floor storefronts, including Crystal Photo Co. and Bellows Pharmacy. Public Service Co. maintained its large office in the Teckler Building for decades before eventually turning the space over to the Crystal Lake Savings & Loan.

In 1965, Leonard and Dorothy Heisler purchased the Teckler Building, moving HEISLER'S BOOTERY from its location on Woodstock Street (since 1908) to the corner of Williams & Brink in early 1966. The business and building are still owned by members of the Heisler family.

At the time it was built, the front of the Teckler Building was clad with white architectural terra cotta, which was manufactured LOCALLY at the American Terra Cotta & Ceramic Co., located northeast of town on Route 31. In 2016, the current building owners made a significant reinvestment in the property by having the terra cotta front of the building repaired and restored. 

HEISLER'S BOOTERY continues to occupy the large, first floor storefront. The Teckler Building is still standing tall and proud at the corner of Williams and Brink, in the HEART of our Historic Downtown.

"Growing up in the business you are a part of it, whether you know it or not. It's a mom and pop business, kids come along and you help, similar to how a family farm was run. We were here to help our mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. Heisler's Bootery supported our family growing up in the 40's and 50's. We evolved from being a harness maker, shoe maker, repairer of anything leather, to a factory-made footwear store for the entire family. We measure, we know shoes, and the orthopedic solutions our customers expect from us."

"As a kid, I watched my grandparents run the business and make an impact in our community far beyond selling shoes.  Of course, I always had to wear 'good' shoes and remember Grandpa lacing me up real snug for support.  Being the oldest grandchild, I felt compelled to return to my roots and take the Bootery to the next level.  We are in the people business and are happy to connect with anyone that walks in our door."