J Wayne Weaver, Chairman of the Board;

Shoe Carnival is an American retailer of family footwear. The company operates 419 stores throughout the midwest, south, and southeast regions. It was founded by David Russell in 1978 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana.

The company sells men's, women's, children's, and athletic footwear through its retail stores. Its stores also offer accessories such as handbags, wallets, shoe care items, and socks. The main difference in Shoe Carnival stores is its concept. The Shoe Carnival Concept is creating an urgency to buy through limited time promotions and the microphone. The mic person announces "specials" over the microphone. These specials include discount, product information, and fun specials which encourage customers to make a purchase.

The company's majority owner is J. Wayne Weaver, former owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Weaver was born in Columbus, Georgia. Weaver worked his way up the corporate ladder at the St. Louis-based Wohl Shoe Company, division of Brown Group, Inc. In 1978, he left to found his own shoe corporation, which he sold in the 1990s.

In 2006 the company began construction on a $40 million corporate headquarters and distribution center. Shoe Carnival's headquarters are now located in a new 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m) building at Cross Pointe Commerce Center on the city's east side. The company's 410,000-square-foot (38,000 m) distribution center was built on Indiana 57 just north of the city.

In 2007, the retailer announced record sales and plans to open 25 additional stores. In 2011, the company announced that it would be offering online shopping to customers. With issues to be worked on, the company had to reschedule a launch date for e-commerce.