Shoe Zone in November 2014.
Shoe Zone was situated at 1 South Main Street in Wexford town, near the corner of Anne Street.
The store, which had been there since the mid-2000s, closed in 2020.
The UK-based retailer decided to pull out of Ireland in order to cut costs. At the time, it was struggling to navigate the various Covid lockdowns and supply chain disruptions.
Following its closure, the former Shoe Zone store in Wexford remained vacant.
In October 2023, the Wexford County Council served the owner of the building with a notice that it intended on adding the property to its derelict sites register. The notice instructed the owner to implement pest control measures and carry out several repairs.
However, the condition of the shopfront remained unchanged, which suggested that the notice was either ignored or not read.
In October 2024, the building was officially added to the derelict sites register.
However, once again, nothing happened.
A busker singing outside of the store. Date: May 2025.
Not long after, the Wexford County Council publicly appealed for help in locating the owner. It later came to light that a Dublin-based company had recently acquired ownership of the building.
As of now, it remains unclear what the company intends to do with the site. However, if it fails to cooperate with the council, a compulsory purchase order may be pursued.
