Fortune’s Boot Shop to discontinue shoe repair
COSHOCTON – Brent Fortune, owner of Fortune’s Boot Shop on US 36, has decided to discontinue shoe repair at his business.
“I think it was just the right time to do it,” he said. “Most shoes that come in have become a throw away item anymore. A lot of them are just glued together anymore. And the materials you work with today are just not the quality that they used to be. We do still see quality in the brands of boots and shoes that we carry here in the store and we make every effort to stock footwear that is going to last.”
The business started in 1949 when Robert “Pinky” Fortune started a shoe repair business in a back alley off of Main Street.
“It was an old car wash,” said Brent. “He and grandpa revamped it and made it into a shoe repair business. That’s where dad started.”
After many locations throughout Coshocton, Fortune’s Boot Shop is now located at 23024 County Road 621, Coshocton, right off of US 36 and has been at its current location for 16 years.
Brent has been repairing shoes for 35 years. He started working at the shop when he was 15 or 16 years old.
“The biggest change I’ve seen is the change in shoes,” he said. “Things aren’t able to be repaired anymore. Also the materials are very expensive to repair them. They’re seeing a drop in their sales, so they have to charge more to make up for that loss.”
Even though the shoe repair is closing, Fortune’s Boot Shop will still be open for business and provide the same level of quality customer service that people expect.
“I enjoy the sales part of the business more than I do the repair,” he said. “I’d like to thank my customers for their patronage and support over the years. I’m still going to be here selling footwear and more.”
Brent also said that he is still going to do some small jobs for his customers that are non-sales related such as sewing on appliques to letterman’s jackets, small mending jobs, and the like. His last day accepting shoe repairs was Monday, Jan. 15.
“I’m finishing up what I got in before that date,” he said. “I’ve got about two or three weeks of doing that, but from now on, I won’t be taking any more shoe repair jobs.”
Fortune’s Boot Shop is open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Category: Business
