Beloved shoe store Bus Stop Boutique to close

Bus Stop Boutique owner Elena Brennan’s footprint on the Philadelphia fashion scene is outsize.

Eighteen years ago, Brennan, a former marketing executive, opened Bus Stop, offering an eclectic collection of European brands on Fourth Street back when only fabric stores lined the dark blocks between Bainbridge and Catherine Streets.

Over the years, Brennan has collaborated with Philadelphia-based designers like Bela Shehu of Nino Brand and Ethan Nguyen of M Concept Shop, pairing chunky heeled color blocked shoes with the designers’ brand of tailored minimalism.

In 2015, Brennan launched her own collection of shoes, aptly named Bus Stop X, inspired by Old Hollywood stars Mae West and Marilyn Monroe, gemstones, and sweet treats.

Yet, thanks to the one-two punch of sky high rents and tariffs, Bus Stop Boutique is closing. Brennan’s last day on South Fourth Street will be July 26.

“Most of what I carry is imported,” Brennan said last week as the sun streamed in through her floor-to-ceiling windows and danced on the 1,500-square-foot boutique’s hardwood floor. Shelves once filled with boxes of strapless open-toed lovelies and tie-ups were noticeably sparse. Only display shoes remained.

“So this tariff situation,” she continued. “A lot of what I’ve been selling I bought before the tariffs were implemented. For me, going forward, closing my brick and mortar was the right thing to do.”

Brennan is not exiting the shoe business, however. Bus Stop X — whose latest season features sandals, slip-ons, and booties with mesh detailing — will be available online. (The shoes are made in Taiwan, a market where tariffs have currently been raised by 10%. Brennan is holding her breath, hoping the Taiwanese government makes a deal with the United States.)

“I want to keep doing what I do and that is designing,” Brennan said.

For those who like to try before we buy, Brennan is planning Bus Stop Boutique pop-ups at art bazaars, outdoor markets, and restaurants during happy hour. She will also be a traveling shoe saleswoman of sorts, taking shoes to customers’ homes. “I’m just evolving,” she said.

Brennan, who grew up in London loving shoes, opened Bus Stop with uber high-end brands from Paris-based Repetto and Dusica Dusica, an Italian handmade collection.

The early Bus Stop shoes cost upward of $700, and when the recession hit, it became clear neighborhood fashionistas could, or would, not pay such high prices. So, Brennan switched gears and started specializing in more affordable, funky designs priced between $150 and $300. She gained a reputation for shoes that looked good and were sturdy. (I walked the streets in my Bus Stop X shoes for at least five years.)

In 2007, when Bus Stop Boutique opened on Fourth Street, it wasn’t a block shoppers visited to peruse, said Eleanor Ingersoll, executive director of the South Street Headhouse District.

“It was a very purposeful destination,” Ingersoll said. “You went because you needed curtains or pillowcases, or fabric for a prom dress, something specific on Fabric Row. Elena started a new chapter on Fourth Street, birthing impulse shopping.”

These days, Ingersoll said, seven fabric shops remain open on Fabric Row. There are a few clothing boutiques like Moore Vintage Archive. The vintage store, right next door to Bus Stop, boasts an enviable collection of vintage designer finds from Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs. Some pieces date to the late 19th century.

Other storefronts on South Fourth Street include niche spots like vegan restaurant Light Box Cafe, the used bookstore Brickbat Books, and the vinyl shop Digital Underground.

Bus Stop’s closing is a full circle moment.

Without Brennan’s tenacity, many of those specialty stores on South Fourth Street wouldn’t be there today. The walkable shopping district features specialty lifestyle businesses ranging from boutique gyms to funky home goods stores that sell 12-inch dance records. Yet Bus Stop’s closure also illustrates the continuing trend of small fashion businesses closing.

“Elena was a trailblazer,” said Ingersoll, who has lived in the Queen Village neighborhood for more than 20 years and shopped at Bus Stop for years even before taking the job at the South Street Headhouse District. “She came to Fourth Street with a powerful aesthetic. She was as much about comfort as she was style and she won us over with her big, welcoming smile.”

It’s tough being priced out of a vibe you had a hand in creating, but Brennan is proud of the role she played in the evolution of South Fourth Street and considers herself a pioneer. She’s sad to leave.

“God, the street is so good now,” she said. “Leaving now at this moment was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make because this street has never been so good as it is now.”

Bus Stop Boutique, located at 727 S. Fourth St., will close its doors July 26. You can still shop Bus Stop online at Busstopboutique.com.