Van Doren dropped out of school at the age of 14, when he was in the eighth grade.
The Van Dorens would sometimes even go to local swap meets to sell their shoes.
[2] When half of their initial 10 stores did not turn a profit, they were advised by their accountants to shut them down.
Yet Van Doren did the opposite and opened more stores, hoping that selling more shoes would decrease the cost needed to produce each pair.
Van Doren had five children: Paul Jr., Steve, Cheryl, Taffy, and Janie.