Tradition meets craftsmanship at Brooks Shoes & Repair

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

December 16, 2024

WAUPUN – It’s a legacy that spans more than eight decades.

Brooks Shoes & Repair – 318 E. Main St. in Waupun – got its start in 1937 by a man named Roy Brooks.

According to the company’s website (brooksshoesandrepair.com), Roy worked at a local shoe factory before eventually deciding to use his knowledge of the industry to help fix people’s shoes.

Since then, Brooks Shoes & Repair has been in six locations and had five different owners – with the current being Gary and Katie DeJager – who took the reins in 2017.

“We had no idea what we were getting into because we were not shoe store people,” Katie said. “We were dairy farmers for 25 years, which we left about eight years prior.”

Gary said the goal was to find a business to buy that they would enjoy that was vastly different from dairy farming “where you have to be ‘on’ every single day.”

“We were so tied down,” he said. “We heard through the rumor mill that (Brooks) was for sale, so we approached the owners, who were friends of my parents.”

Two months later, the DeJagers said they were given the keys and the customer index card file.

Learning curve

The learning curve of owning a shoe store and shoe repair business, Gary said, continues to this day.

“The first six months, it was a pretty steep (learning curve), but it has definitely flattened out,” he said. “It was (essentially) a turnkey business.”

Brooks Shoes & Repair, Gary said, is famous for its old-school index card filing system for each customer – which includes shoe sizes and purchase history, and dates back 20 years.

“We also have all of the customer data online,” Katie said. “It was very organized, so we had a lot of procedures in place that were very helpful. So we just kind of took over, and as we got a feel for things, we could start making our own decisions (for the store).”

Though neither of them had experience in the shoe industry, Katie said their decades in the farming industry and Gary’s variety of jobs before they purchased Brooks – such as egg sales, truck driving and real estate – serves them well when working with customers.

“He understands the type of work that is done in a variety of industries in many towns throughout the state, so he can recommend the appropriate work shoe, as he understands several work environments,” she said.

Gary said that is how he connects with customers.

“I can recommend something that would probably be appropriate and most comfortable for the work they are doing,” he said.

Gary said the anatomy of the shoe is important.

“The styles of the soles indicate how the shoe will perform,” he said. “You can have flat soles with heels that are slip resistant or harder soles that are going to hold up longer. It depends on the type of work.”

Making it their own

During the first six months of taking over, Gary said they took stock of what products were selling and which weren’t.

Once that was determined, he said they started bringing in different styles of shoes – including Birkenstocks, Keens and Brooks running shoes.

“Many customers assumed that because of the name of the store, ‘Brooks,’ we sold that type of running shoe,” Katie said.

She said they even started getting calls from people across the country looking for Brooks Running Shoes – a Seattle-headquartered company.

As they did more research, Gary said the quality of the Brooks running shoe fit into the quality of products the store carried already, so they decided to add it to their offerings.

“They are a very good quality shoe,” he said. “Everything we carry here is on the higher end as far as quality and support and that fits our criteria.”
The mission of Brooks Shoes & Repair, Gary said, goes beyond selling shoes to customers.

“There’s so much gratification in helping people enjoy life more comfortably,” he said. 

Though many interactions he’s had with customers have left lasting impressions, Gary said one particular customer in their early days as owners is a story he will never forget.

“We were probably here for about a month when an older couple came in,” he said. “The woman was looking to have a lift to put in her shoe because her one leg was shorter than the other. She had been struggling with this all her life.”

Gary said she was under the impression that it would cost thousands of dollars to get a shoe fixed to correctly fitted. 

“That really wasn’t the case – it was about $50,” he said. “We went ahead and put a lift in her shoes. She came back to try it on, she took three steps and she started crying. Confused, I asked, ‘I hope that’s not bad,’” he said.

Gary said she quickly confirmed that they were good tears and that she could already tell a difference.

“Every week we get people who come through the door who have issues finding shoes that fit correctly,” he said. “We make adjustments to shoes so they can walk with ease and less pain. We help to keep them on their feet and a little more active.”

Repairs

Though Brooks Shoes & Repair prides itself in being a hometown business, Gary said customers travel from more than a 50-mile radius to purchase their shoes in Waupun and from further distances to get their shoes repaired there.

Also offering repair services, Gary said the store has two cobblers on staff – himself and Dan Sallach.

“Many of the cobblers around are aging, and they’re not passing on the business to anybody,” he said. “We continue to hear about all of the shoe stores with a repair department that’s closing down and cobblers wanting to retire. Customers are traveling greater distances to see us.”

Cobblers, Gary said, repair and resole shoes, add lifts and put new heels on boots and shoes. He said they also repair stitching, stretch shoes and apply tuff toe to work boots.

Gary said he does a lot of the repairs using an 80-year-old sewing machine that can stitch on leather.

Though he had no previous experience as a cobbler when purchasing the business, he said he has picked up the skills along the way.

At one point, years ago, Gary said the shop had three cobblers repairing about 100 pairs of shoes weekly.

That, he said, was before tennis shoes.

Now the store repairs closer to 20 pairs per week.

In addition to shoes, Gary said they repair stitching on leather purses and accessories and have even repaired a gun holster from WWII.

Shoe selection

Gary said Brooks Shoes & Repair carries nearly 2,000 pairs of shoes in stock, representing almost 20 different brands.

In addition, he said they can special order any size, color and style.

“Work shoes are our bread and butter and represent about two-thirds of total sales,” he said. “Red Wings, Carolinas, Irish Setter and Rockports comprise the line-up.”

In the last couple of years, since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more of the workforce working from home, Katie said more casual and comfortable shoes like the Birkenstocks have grown in popularity.

“As a result, people are buying fewer dress shoes,” she said. 

At Brooks Shoes & Repair, Gary said shoe sales comprise 90% of the business, while repairs represent the remaining 10%.

Challenges

Gary said the store faces some supply chain issues with certain brands of shoes.

“It’s a rolling challenge,” he said. “Every brand has struggled with (finding) employees since COVID. They’ve had a lot of turnover inside their brands and challenges where shoes are manufactured. That trickles down to us.”

Gary said they also compete with big box stores and online shopping.

“People sometimes forget about the importance of supporting small businesses,” he said.

Understanding customer preference and buying behavior presents another challenge for the owners.

“Deciding on which styles and colors to order that will sell in our store is another hurdle,” Gary said. “In many cases, we have to order them six months in advance, and certain styles and colors can change every year, unlike work shoes that have been around for 20 years.”

Gary said there is a seasonality to Brooks Shoes & Repair, and it has less to do about the calendar and more about the weather.

“Though business is steady throughout the year, when there is a string of rainy days, teams of workers come in for new shoes,” he said. “Or if we get a cold snap, now their feet are getting cold, and they roll in for new shoes.”

A balanced team

Gary said he is at the store every day and covers all sales and repair work, while Katie manages the accounting, inventory and payroll.

Katie said her sister, Gladys, has been part of the business since day one and takes care of promotions and advertising.

“We know our customers personally,” Gary said. “This is an old-fashioned, full-service shoe store. Customers typically ask, ‘What’s the best work boot that you’ve got?’ We always say, ‘The one that fits properly.’”

Gary said they pride themselves on getting their customers into a shoe that fits them best. 

“Some customers come in and claim that they wear a size 12,” he said. “We later learn, after properly measuring them, that they actually should be wearing a size 10 and a half wide. We take the time to uncover that.”

Gary said Brooks Shoes & Repair supports small businesses, and they, in turn, support the store.

“We believe there are still places around where you can walk in and people know your name,” Katie said. “We have customers who come in and say their husband needs a pair of boots, just like the last ones. We pull out the index card, pull the boots from inventory and she is out the door.”

Gary said in the last seven years, the new stores and boutiques have added to the foot traffic of downtown Waupun.

“Our downtown is a bustling place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,” he said.