Danny Wasserman, Upper West Side Icon and Owner of Tip Top Shoes, Passes Away - iLovetheUpperWestSide.com

The Upper West Side raises a glass to Danny Wasserman, the born-and-raised New Yorker who began his career working at his father Max’s small shoe store in the Bronx.

Wasserman had been recovering from a recent fall at his home and was staying in a New York hospital, his son Lester told Footwear News. He died unexpectedly after going into cardiac arrest. “He was waiting for a bed at a rehab facility and had been saying he was going to check himself out of the hospital,” said Lester. Wasserman lived on the same block as Tip Top Shoes, on West 72nd Street.

In 2025, Tip Top Shoes will celebrate its 85th anniversary, marking the 60th anniversary of Wasserman family ownership. The family’s presence on the block has continued to grow, with Tip Top Kids Shoes—where his daughter Margot works—opening just steps away in 1988, and West NYC, the sneaker boutique and apparel brand established in 2007, run by his son Lester.

“The industry meant everything to him—he loved the shoes, the vendors, the gossip,” said Lester. “It was all about the love.”

Get ILTUWS In Your Inbox (It’s Free)

Danny Wasserman was known as a visionary in the industry. Back in the early 1970s, Tip Top Shoes started selling Birkenstock. “Our account number is 00150—nobody on the East Coast was selling the brand when we started,” Wasserman said in a 2021 story by Footwear Plus Magazine. “We started selling them more and more, and then I advertised the brand in Rolling Stone and The New York Times Magazine with the tagline, ‘The ugly shoes that make you smile.’” The ad was not much bigger than an oversized postage stamp and cost about $125, but the ROI was huge. “The response was great,” he said. The magazine referred to Wasserman as ‘The Maestro,’ which rings true as Birkenstock has now become a household name in the States. Back in the early ‘70s, he noted, “It got us noticed by a whole younger generation. We had tons of hippies traveling from New Jersey, Upstate New York, etc., to our store to buy Birkenstocks.”

The Wasserman shops were closed on Tuesday for a funeral held at Riverside Memorial Chapel.

Wasserman is survived by his wife Carol, children Lester and Margot, and three grandchildren.

Thanks go out from ILTUWS to Danny Wasserman and his family, true titans of business on the Upper West Side.

Have a news tip? Send it to us here!

Get us in your inbox:

By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional messages from our partners.

Loading…

Thanks for subscribing!

Sharing is caring!

Bobby attended Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, where he studied journalism and wrote for local children’s magazine Moo Cow Fan Club. Years later while living in New York City, trudging home on a dour January day, Bobby read his favorite bookstore, the venerable Westsider Rare and Used Books, would soon close its doors due to ballooning rent. The owner was quoted saying the only thing that could save his shop was if someone raised $50,000 but doubted anyone would do it. Bobby immediately sprang into action, wanting to show the owner that someone would indeed answer the call. Single-handedly launching a viral online fundraising campaign that reached far beyond New York City, Bobby helped raise the money in just four days, with the bookstore’s saga receiving coverage in the New York Times and NBC. Having spent years exploring Westsider’s cramped and cozy aisles, it warmed Bobby’s heart seeing people come together to save something they truly loved. A proud Upper West Side local, you can typically find Bobby in Riverside Park, at the New York Philharmonic, or recording poetry for his YouTube Channel, Bobby Slam, in his beloved Westsider Books. You can also follow Bobby on Twitter and Instagram. Bobby is also a regular contributor for EastSideFeed.com. His articles for this publication can be viewed here.

Tip Top Shoes is an UWS institution, and I can’t recall how many great pairs of shoes I have bought from there, but they were always tip top quality. My condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Wasserman.

Tip Top is a perfect example of what makes a neighborhood unique and great. We’ve lost so many of these businesses. Condolences to Mr. Wasserman’s family, friends and employees.

Wishing Mr. Wasserman at his next destination. Many thanks for being an integral part of the lives of us West Siders for so many years. We miss you.

My mom bought my back-to-school shoes for me ant Tip-Top every year in the 80’s and early ‘80’s. And I still buy a few pairs every year from Tip-Top. It’s a UWS institution with great salespeople. May Mr Wasserman’s memory be a blessing. Sending condolences to his family.

Thanks for the memories, Mr. Wasserman. May YOUR memory be a blessing!

Comment

Notify me of follow up comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

Δ