Oshman's Sporting Goods Stores

[blue92]

I remember them having a huge store in the Memorial Mall in the late 60s and throughout the 70s.

[Ross]

I used to shop there a lot, expecially before Academy expanded. I haven't been that impressed with the Sports Authority stores. Oshmans was far better. Oshmans was bought by Gart, in 2001.

[acamarillo]

My favorite was the downtown Main Street store. Two levels, street and lower, like so many of the old stores there. Can't remember exactly how it was organized, but it had a pretty classy feel for a sporting goods store.

[Earlydays]

Yes...they were the sporting goods store of choice in the '60's and '70's....shopped there often....today most of their locations are Sports Authority.

[IronTiger]

Oshman's was located in Houston, had the first SuperSports USA location in Houston, and I think I remember reading in the Chron that the Oshman's name would be phased out for good (circa early 2006?)

[NenaE]

My dad would take me with him, to their warehouse store on the Gulf Freeway and Wayside, to look for baseball stuff, 1970's.

[writeonbro]

I visited the Gulf Freeway warehouse several times and was alwasys able to find some good bargains.

[rsb320]

I used to shop at the store on Post Oak and remember them as being sort of upscale and pricey.

[sevfiv]

I remember going to the one at the old Meyerland Mall

[little frau]

And now, all the Oshman's warehouses/buildings on Wayside are levelled.

[skwatra]

I actually worked there in high school. Dream job, got to skate around all day, it was great.

The Oshman's family is from Houston, Marylin Oshman was CEO through the 90's and when they sold out to Gart Sports I believe. So now its Gart out west and Sports Authority here and the midwest. I feel like Oshman's used to be a little higher end for skates and skis and bikes, but Sports Authority doesn't carry as good of stuff. Now I just prefer Academy for every day things or higher end specialty stores when I need something unique.

[samagon]

And now, all the Oshman's warehouses/buildings on Wayside are levelled.

Including the very interesting mural on the back side of the warehouse.

[little frau]

Yes, initially there was talk that Walmart had not bought the very end warehouse on Maxwell at the feeder road. That's the one that had the first mural. Also, that the old motel property on the corner of Wayside and feeder was not in the package either.

Both properties eventually became part of the Walmart deal. Now, the only thing left is Taqueria Arandas and the other little side building on that property.

I'm curious about the palm trees and oaks that have been left standing. Will Walmart build around them?

Another thing that I wonder about, why haven't the demolition folks taken down the various sign poles that face Wayside...........

They've also left several power poles but I would think those will be relocated or removed before construction begins.

[NenaE]

That's a very old palm. I remember it sitting in the middle of the Holiday Inn. Oshman's was always the "too expensive" store, when I was small. But the warehouse wasn't.

[msteele6]

The first Oshman's I remember was the one at Palm Center. It was at the opposite end of the mall from the Penney's store, right next to the Lewis and Coker grocery store. I remember going to this store often, usually after having eaten at the old Thornhill's cafeteria.

[westhu]

The other higher end sporting goods store was Holts. The only one I remember was downtown, but I believe there were more. Does anyone remember Heights Tackle House? I remember going there in the 50's BEFORE going fishing in Galveton Bay. They must have opened around 5:00 AM.

[Fringe]

In the early days Foley's was probably their biggest competition. They had a great sporting goods department. Bought my first Hobie surfboard from Foley's in the late 60's. Worked there part time while in high school and used my employee discount.

[mkultra25]

In the early days Foley's was probably their biggest competition. They had a great sporting goods department.

Remember when you used to be able to buy guns and knives at Foley's? When I was a kid I used to admire the full-sized Bowie knife that was on display in the knife case at the Greenspoint Foley's, but unfortunately my savings didn't stretch much further than a basic folding Buck knife.

I can't pinpoint when they got rid of the sporting goods, but I'd guess it was sometime in the 1980s.

[crunchtastic]

Remember when you used to be able to buy guns and knives at Foley's? When I was a kid I used to admire the full-sized Bowie knife that was on display in the knife case at the Greenspoint Foley's, but unfortunately my savings didn't stretch much further than a basic folding Buck knife.

I can't pinpoint when they got rid of the sporting goods, but I'd guess it was sometime in the 1980s.

Probably around the same time they also got rid of the record department. I distinctly remember grudgingly going to Memorial City Foleys in the late 70s with my mom, who was taking my brother to get his Boy Scouts uniforms, because I had babysitting money and Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door had just come out, which I HAD to get and I was grounded from going to the mall with my friend's older brother who was old to enough to have a license. Which is a funny story because I was grounded for smoking weed, but as soon as I got it home my dad would take to playing that album when he was 'in his shop' for long periods of time.

[billyf]

I remember going to the one on the North Freeway just south of Aldine Bender with my parents when I was a kid back in the 80s. It was in the Northgate Shopping Center next to Sherwin Williams and Firestone. I think there is an Affordable Furniture store there now. I seem to recall there being one in Greenspoint Mall called Oshman's Outlet. Can anyone confirm this?

Edited September 12, 2012 by billyf

[randy101857]

I remember going to the one on the North Freeway just south of Aldine Bender with my parents when I was a kid back in the 80s. It was in the Northgate Shopping Center next to Sherwin Williams and Firestone. I think there is an Affordable Furniture store there now. I seem to recall there being one in Greenspoint Mall called Oshman's Outlet. Can anyone confirm this?

The one you are talking about in Northgate was an Oshman's Warehouse Outlet.I worked there from '81 until April of '84.I was an assistant manager. The one in Greenspoint was a regular store.I was short and had kinda bushy hair..You probably wouldn't remember me though.

[randy101857]

I actually worked there in high school. Dream job, got to skate around all day, it was great.

The Oshman's family is from Houston, Marylin Oshman was CEO through the 90's and when they sold out to Gart Sports I believe. So now its Gart out west and Sports Authority here and the midwest. I feel like Oshman's used to be a little higher end for skates and skis and bikes, but Sports Authority doesn't carry as good of stuff. Now I just prefer Academy for every day things or higher end specialty stores when I need something unique.

Which one did you work at? do you remember any of the corporate guys?Bailey? Ovieda?Titus?Rosemond(sp)?(I worked with his daughters out at the Outlet in North Houston.

[kylejack]

Oshman Supersports on I-10 was a lot of fun. My grandfather used to take me there when my cousins were in town and we'd hit in the batting cage and do all the other cool stuff there.

[px4man]

I remember my Dad bought my brother and I our first shotguns for Christmas in 1960 at the Meyerland Oshmans. Used to find some great deals there, but for the most part, they were on the more upscale price line, but mostly better quality that I could not afford at the time.

[Montrose Patriot]

The former Oshman's Warehouse off Wayside/45 is across from the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art; there is a twist where Marilyn Oshman is an Orange Show board member (her name is usually plastered during Art Car Weekend)...

[Specwriter]

I was driving on the west beltway the other day and was surprised to see a Barcelona Sports store there. When I played little league ball in the early 70's Barcelona is where we went for equipment (not the current one on BW8 of course).

[HTX]

I used to shop at the store on Post Oak and remember them as being sort of upscale and pricey.

 

 

Didn't they have a "ski slope" in the back to try out gear?

 

Htx

[taman25thc02]

Didn't they have a "ski slope" in the back to try out gear?

 

Htx

 

I know this is a late response but I've been absent from this site for a couple years and decided to peruse it again.  Many of the Oshmans had "ski slopes"(like a giant sloping treadmill) where you could demo items and I think they had some kind of training classes you could pay for as well.  I was still a kid when Oshman's closed but I always wanted to try that slope.

 

I believe the one out at Memorial and Willobrook had basketball courts with a kids court area sectioned off as well.  I spent most of my time there while my dad looked at fishing gear. 

[iliketurtles]

Anyone go to the Oshman's, in Webster, back in the '90s and early '00s? I remember playing basketball with my dad and brother there. They also had baseball batting room and small golf course. It later turned into a boring Sports Authority. They closed the basketball court and turned it into a storage room.

[IronTiger]

I think there was a regular Oshman's in Post Oak Mall, though it was a regular (not SuperSports) store. I also remember it in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure where Ghengis Khan trashes one location (it was a stupid movie, but it makes sense in context)

[Michelle C]

I remember a Holts sporting goods in down town Houston. Not sure but Oshman's may have swallowed them up when they came to town. To this day I still have a pair of binocular's with the Holt's sporting goods logo on them. I got them for Christmas some time about the mid fifties.

[bonappettit]

The first Oshman's I remember was the one at Palm Center. It was at the opposite end of the mall from the Penney's store, right next to the Lewis and Coker grocery store. I remember going to this store often, usually after having eaten at the old Thornhill's cafeteria.

 

I shopped at an Oshman's in Northline Mall which was at I-45 and Crosstimbers.And in Pasadena.Loved stopping at the Orange Julius.

 

[Michelle C]

I remember well the Oshman's on Main street in downtown Houston. I think that is the only one I have ever been in. I just remember it was a big store, other then than that, I do not remember a lot about them.

[Earlydays]

I remember well the Oshman's on Main street in downtown Houston. I think that is the only one I have ever been in. I just remember it was a big store, other then than that, I do not remember a lot about them.

 

I remember the store well. When I worked downtown in the late 60's and early 70's I'd go there at lunch to buy tennis equipment....tennis was a big sport then, much like golf is today.

 

[Retama]

We shopped at Oshman's in Pasadena which, I think, was near what is now Pasadena Town Square. I still have a University of Texas pennant I bought there (hanging out in the garage) and a SWC football book I bought there as well.

[NenaE]

The Pasadena Oshman's I remember was located across from Sears, in the strip center that had Weingarten's, Wyatt's, Weiner's, and White's? Guessing on that last store.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

the Oshman family is related to the Fingers family. Bobby Fingers was the one keeping both chains alive, and when he passed away, there went their family business.

 

I used to work for a dude whose wife's last name is Oshman... they are her cousins.

[JuliaBOldLady]

Dad and Mom purchased our very first sleeping bags from the Oshman's in Sharpstown. It was for camping near Conroe. The old tent cots, Coleman stove. etc. We also used those sleeping bags for Boy and Girl Scout camp. Then one Christmas Dad thought the boys needed firearms. He bought them pump b-b guns. They enjoyed shooting their little sister in the arms and butt. 

[terra002]

 My mom used to take us to Oshmans on i10 all the time as kids. It was a airconditioned and we could play for free. Fun place, I wish someone had some pictures of it.

[IronTiger]

I think the I-10 location may have been a "SuperSports USA", which was in the old Mervyn's, which moved to Memorial City Mall.

[MirrersTrucking]

If I remember correctly, there was an Oshmans in Humble in the late 90's. Whether it was or wasn't, whatever store it was, me and a bunch of other guys used to skip school and try to kill each other in the tennis room. Thinking back, we used to skip ALOT of school, there were many times we'd wind up playing pool at Bogies or trying our best to get kicked out of K Mart or Deerbrook Mall.

[Lloyd-TX]

Remember when you used to be able to buy guns and knives at Foley's?

I can't pinpoint when they got rid of the sporting goods, but I'd guess it was sometime in the 1980s.

 

I sure do. Bought a Sheridan pump-style pellet rifle from the downtown Foley's back in the 70's.

[Lloyd-TX]

I sure do remember them! Spent a lot of money at the Post Oak Oshman's and the Sharpstown Mall Oshman's back in the day.

[mrfredmor_65]

A little bit of Oshman's trivia: To my knowledge, there is only one place in Houston where you can still see an Oshman's sign; any guesses?

[VicMan]

Are there any pictures out there of the Oshman mural and the old Oshman buildings?

[IronTiger]

58 minutes ago, VicMan said:

Are there any pictures out there of the Oshman mural and the old Oshman buildings?

Google Street View?

[Sherrie]

I used to work in the advertising department- the one off the Gulf Freeway.  What an experience!  😃

[JOSEPH PICKENS]

On 10/21/2015 at 10:58 AM, Lloyd-TX said:

I sure do remember them! Spent a lot of money at the Post Oak Oshman's and the Sharpstown Mall Oshman's back in the day.

Sharpstown Mall Oshmans was where I was, front and center for a MJ autograph signing,1986. Made it out of there before the minor stampede took place. He stuck his head through the door from behind folding tables and the crowd rushed, causing a stampede. He had to refrain from the signings.