Vancouver Sun
Business grew by 15 per cent last year, says owner of long-time Kelowna business!!!
Looking for a hand-crafted, made-to-order pair of men's dress shoes made of bison leather?
Well, you may have to go to the sunny Okanagan to get fitted.
Roy's Shoes, Boots and Repairs has been repairing and selling footwear on Kelowna's Ellis Street for 36 years. Now, in an age of cheaper mass-production shoes, the store's new owner is diversifying into custom fits for whoever walks through the front door.
In fact, Jim Belshaw, who purchased Roy's Shoes two years ago, maintains it's the only shoe shop west of Toronto where customers can get such a personal fit.
On display at the store is a pair of size 23 shoes that were made for an athlete, who remains anonymous.
Despite the time (about four weeks from measurement to pickup) and money (prices typically range from $300 to $400), business is picking up, Belshaw said.
"We've sold a couple of dozen [customer fits]," Belshaw, 56, said in an interview about the shoes, which are fitted in Kelowna and then built by leather craftsmen in Leon, Mexico. "Word is just getting out."
Belshaw said that men typically have two choices of footwear: comfort or style. His custom fits incorporate both, he added. "If a [customer] has a size 10 on one foot and a size 101/2 on the other foot, that's what he gets."
Customers choose from close to 100 different styles (Roy's can also make golf shoes) and then pick the leather (including steer, calf, deer, bison or exotic), the colour of the leather and the type of sole. Then exact measurements are taken using a Brannock measuring device and tape measure. Physical and sensory elements are taken into consideration when trying on the fitting shoe.
Jim Belshaw, who has a background in the restaurant business, bought Roy's Shoes from a friend and then reduced the number of shoe lines offered at the store.
That way, he said, the store narrowed its focus to offering the more popular shoes. "We had 20 different lines when I took over. Now, we have eight [and] offer more selection of a particular line of shoes. Our retail sales have increased about 15 per cent each year for the past two years."
Belshaw said that decision came about after canvassing clients for several months. "We're right downtown, so we listened and talked to all the customers."
Jim Belshaw also said that the shoe repair side of his store has being doing well, especially since the economy went sour. "As of December, repairs are up 30 per cent over December a year before. People who don't normally repair their shoes are coming in. They're watching their pennies."
Jim Belshaw, whose son is also involved in the business, said aspiring entrepreneurs or people owning small businesses should focus on networking and personal service to get their businesses off the ground and profitable.
"Our repair business saw an increase of about 25 per cent each year. We were part of a number of green initiatives in town and the word got out. Networking is very important. Be involved in your community."
Jim Belshaw said it's vitally important to treat customers like you'd like to be treated yourself.
"I've had numerous people say they came here because they know I know shoes inside and out.
If there's a problem, they know it can be fixed."
