Danny Wasserman, the retail visionary who turned his family’s Upper West Side store into an independent footwear institution, died on Saturday. He was 80.
After a recent fall at home, Wasserman had been recovering for a few days in a New York hospital and died unexpectedly after going into cardiac arrest, according to Lester, his son. “He was waiting for a bed at a rehab facility and had been saying he was going to check himself out the hospital,” the younger Wasserman said, of his dad’s determination to the end.
Danny was the guiding force at Tip Top Shoes for more than 50 years — from the moment he joined his own father, Max Wasserman, in the business.
“This industry meant everything to him — he loved the shoes, the vendors, the gossip,” said Lester. “It was all about the love.”
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In 2025, Tip Top, located on West 72nd Street, will mark both the 85th anniversary of its founding and the 60th anniversary of Wasserman family ownership — no small feat at a time when it has never been harder to be an independent operator. (The family acquired the store from original owner Ruth Pfiferling.)
Wasserman took great pride in the retailer’s ability to differentiate itself with top-notch customer service. “We tell our staff that everything we have is available somewhere else,” he told FN in 2015. “The only thing [that separates] us is our service.”
A constant presence on the shop floor, Wasserman was eager to share his lessons with anybody who walked through Tip Top’s doors. “When Danny talked, people listened,” Lester said. Whether he was talking about hot product and trends or markdowns and inventory flow, Mr. Wasserman wasn’t bashful, his son said.
Wasserman was immensely proud that Lester and daughter Margot, the children’s shoe buyer, decided to follow in his footsteps and become co-owners. Together, the family expanded into the kids’ business with a standalone store that opened in 1988 and opened a sneaker boutique, West, in 2007.
Margot Wasserman remembered the daily texts she and her father exchanged about “everything and nothing.” Topics ranged from reordering the right shoes, “especially socks and inserts,” discussing the latest TV shows and what they had for dinner.
One important lesson that Wasserman taught his kids and many others about the shoe business: “If something is unique, it will have legs.”
At trade shows, Wasserman walked the halls from morning to night, often with an entourage in tow. “He wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Lester said on Sunday.
Wasserman took great pride in his ability to spot new brands and emerging industry trends.
“We were one of the first to have Ugg Australia and one of the first in the Northeast to carry Birkenstock. I also recognized MBT, Kork-Ease, Sbicca huaraches and Jacques Cohen espadrilles,” he told FN in 2015.
Industry players reached on Sunday remembered Wasserman as one of a kind.
“I’ve known him all my life. He was a friend, a father and mentor to me. He was the best teacher anyone could be,” said Tarek Hassan, CEO of Concepts, who recalled attending countless shows and buying appointments under the tutelage of Mr. Wasserman. “He lived the business. He understood people, product and brands. He had an incredible eye. There’s only one Danny.”
David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, said Wasserman — who had German roots — was one of the brand’s first accounts.
“He loved to recount his history with Margot Fraser and Karl Birkenstock. He took a chance on the brand when no one else carried it,” Kahan said. “He literally brought it to NYC and put tens of thousands of local New Yorkers and tourists into our products, including many regular celebrity clients. He even sold Yoko Ono a pair she got for John Lennon. Even when COVID shut down NYC retail, he and Lester set up a table outside the store and sold Birkenstocks one at a time to passers by.”
Kahan and Wasserman developed a close friendship through the years. “I consider him a true mentor in the industry. I don’t think a week has gone by in 20 years that I didn’t talk or text with him multiple times,” Kahan said.
Wasserman is survived by his wife, Carol; children Lester and Margot; and three grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Riverside Funeral Home in New York. Shiva will be observed during select hours Tuesday through Thursday at Margot and Lester’s residences. Email Lester Wasserman at lwasser579@mac.com for more details.
