Ohio Shoe Store Heist Leaves Owner Confused: “They Only Took the Right Shoes!”

Sole Bros shoe store on Reading Road in Cincinnati was left in shambles after a burglary on October 8th. Owner Hunter Emigh isn’t just dealing with a hefty financial hit—he’s also shaking his head at the unusual choice of loot.

Cincinnati Shoe Store Burglarized

"Some days, it’s really tough. I’ll be honest," Emigh said. "After this happened, I told my team, ‘I’m ready to shut this down.’ I was done."

The robbery happened at around 3 a.m. when Emigh was notified by his security system. By the time he made it to the store, the burglars were long gone—probably too busy trying to figure out what to do with a pile of mismatched shoes.

"I rushed over as soon as I got the alert," Emigh said. "I missed them by about 17 to 19 minutes. But I guess that was just enough time for them to clean out my inventory—and only grab half of it."

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Thieves Steal $45,000 Worth of Goods—Including a Bunch of Single Shoes

The three burglars swiped over 50 clothing items, about a dozen full pairs of shoes, and—wait for it—100 individual right shoes. Yep, they left behind all the left ones. Because, you know, why take both when you can just hobble around town in one?

"I realized they took one shoe from a lot of pairs that were on display," Emigh laughed. "At that point, it wasn’t just heartbreaking—it was like, ‘Really, guys? What’s the plan here?’ I guess they’re starting a collection for people with only right feet.”

The Cincinnati Police Department is investigating, and Emigh is asking anyone who might have seen something between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. to reach out. If you happen to spot someone walking around with one shoe or selling solo sneakers on Craigslist, you might just have a lead.

This isn’t Emigh’s first run-in with bad luck.

Eighteen months ago, a car crashed through the front door of his previous shop. (Apparently, that driver needed shoes and driving lessons.)

"This business journey has tested me in every way possible," Emigh said. "I’ve dealt with cars driving into my store, and now I’ve got thieves who can’t even figure out how shoes work."

After the break-in, Emigh and his employees spent hours cleaning up piles of single-left shoes and jumbled boxes.

Despite the chaos, Emigh is holding onto his faith and keeping a sense of humor. “I’ve been working on growing spiritually. I’m still upset, but I don’t want to carry any hate in my heart. Maybe I’ll just carry all these left shoes instead.”

While Emigh isn’t looking for revenge, he’s hoping the thieves are caught—if only so he can ask them what exactly they were thinking.

The investigation continues, and Cincinnati residents are keeping an eye out for anyone with an unusually high number of right shoes.