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Oct. 24–In a world of inexpensive shoes and a throwaway philosophy, the trade of repairing and polishing shoes and boots is still flourishing at one Tulsa business.
Tulsa World (OK) (KRT) via NewsEdge Corporation :
Oct. 24–In a world of inexpensive shoes and a throwaway philosophy, the trade of repairing and polishing shoes and boots is still flourishing at one Tulsa business.
Terry Keylon, who owns Keylon’s Boot and Shoe Repair, along with his wife, Cheryol Keylon, has been in the business long enough to see the ups and downs of the trade but has no trouble keeping busy.
Terry has owned his business, 6019 S. Sheridan Road, for 23 years.
“When I was a kid, my neighbor had a shoe repair business in Houston, and I worked for them on Saturday mornings and then worked for them half a school day,” he said, explaining how he learned the shoe repair trade.
He worked for other shoe repair businesses before opening his own.
Terry said his business revolves around high-end men’s footwear.
“I work on $300 men’s shoes and $800 cowboy boots. Most of our jobs are men’s shoes,” he said.
“I take care of high-end footwear. A lot of repair jobs would cost more than low-end footwear.”
He said when he first got into the shoe repair business, things were different.
“When we
first started, we got all kinds of footwear, but with the prices of material and labor, you can’t work on low-end footwear,” he said.
Cheryol Keylon said some customers don’t mind paying the price for repairs on inexpensive shoes.
“Some people will spend twice as much on a repair than they did for the price of the shoe. That’s the exception, not the rule,” she said.
“Some people just like the shoe. It’s comfortable.”
Terry Keylon said their specialty is rebuilding soles and heels.
“Most shoes we work on are leather shoes, occasionally canvas and other materials,” he said.
A new half sole may run $28, while an entire sole replacement may cost $68, with the condition of the shoe or boot always determining the cost of the repair.
He also does business in custom arch support.
“We have a computer system that takes a digital impression of the foot, reads the pressure points and recommends the proper arch support to place in a shoe,” he said.
Terry said his wife can stay busy all day shining shoes.
Cheryol said shoe shining is a matter of convenience for customers.
“It’s a huge part of our business. They don’t have time and can afford to have someone else to do it,” she said.
A shoe shine can be done for $5 while a customer waits, she said.
Orthopedic shoe modifications are also part of the Keylons’ business.
A shoe or boot may have to be modified with a higher or lower heel due to an illness or surgery.
“It used to be from people who had had polio. Now we see people (who suffer problems) from hip and knee replacements,” which may result in one leg being shorter than the other, Terry Keylon said.
He said he hates to see people come in who are in pain.
“You hate to see them suffer,” he said.
Turnaround time on shoe repair can be a few hours to next-day service.
The Keylons wait on 60 to 90 customers a day, with lunchtime always the busiest, they said.
Customer Larry Egge said he feels he is among family when he brings in shoes for repair at Keylon’s.
He said it is worth the money to have his shoes repaired.
“When you have a good pair of shoes, you need to get your worth out of it. That’s being smart. That’s not being cheap,” Egge said.
“You get to keep a comfortable pair of shoes. With the work they do, you feel like you’re getting a new pair of shoes.”
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