EUGENE, Ore. -- At five o'clock this afternoon a small shop in downtown Eugene will close its doors forever. Jan's Specialty Shoe Service has been repairing footwear for almost thirty years. They are closing despite an increase in business as thrifty customers choose to get their shoes fixed instead of buying new ones. KLCC's Angela Kellner stopped by and spoke with the owners and customers.

Jan's Specialty Shoe Service is wedged between the Eugene Police Auditor's office and a poker bar. The windows facing Olive Street are adorned with handwritten signs letting customers know there will be no more shoe repairs and thanking them for their patronage. Another small sign reminds the poker players next door to properly dispose of cigarette butts and gum.

{Sound of cash register and customer with owner}

Owners Jan and Cal Brockamp, both 63 years old have known each other since they were young children. She graduated from South Eugene High in 1965, he from Junction City High in 1964. They married in '68.

Jan Brockamp: "We like to do woodworking. We do that. We're building cabinets for our home right now. We built all of our cabinets in this shop that we had in here. We built all of that."

In the back of the shop, Cal slides open a drawer revealing an assortment of items used to fix shoes.

Cal Brockamp: "Little dowel lifts is what they're called. They're European dowels. They're short. They have tube that goes up the center of the heel."

Cal uses it to mend a woman's high heels while she waits in the lobby. He turns the shoe over and gently nails the piece on.

{Sound of tapping}

This small repair will help extend the shoe's life. In this recession cal says more people are discovering the old-fashioned idea of fixing rather than buying new.

Cal Brockamp: "They are digging in their closets to find the shoes that are good, the shoes that are in good shape that they haven't worn for quite some time. And bringing those in for repair and redoing them."

But changes in how they're manufactured and the materials used means not every shoe can be fixed.

Cal Brockamp: "Well there used to be a lot of leather soled shoes and also rubber soles. The rubber has gone to a urethane, which takes special adhesives that mostly and basically come out of Europe."

Cal is honest with his customers and tells them if something can't be restored. He says it doesn't always make sense to put $40.00 worth of repair into $50.00 shoes. If it's a $200.00 pair, then the cost to replace worn out soles makes more sense. But Cal says people have their favorite footwear and sometimes insist on getting them mended.

Cal Brockamp: "Yeah, there's a lot of comfort, even sentimental value. We don't know why there's sentimental value in a shoe because we work with the shoe. You know. We try and work with the person and the shoe, but it doesn't always work."

Cal's father started repairing shoes when he was in the Navy aboard a ship during World War II. Both Cal and Jan's father's worked in a shoe repair shop in downtown Eugene back in the 1950's. Later on the father's each had their own shops. Jan did leather work with her father. One day they got a call from Evil Knievel who was in town and needed his leather suit refinished.

Jan Brockamp: "It needed some attention so we cleaned it and refinished it yeah."

The store on Olive Street is the 3^rd downtown location the Brockamp's have occupied over the years…they've seen a lot of changes.

Jan Brockamp: "You know, people used to come downtown and do everything down here. They didn't need to go anywhere else because everything you needed was downtown. You don't have that anymore. There were doctor's offices down in this area, dentists, movie theatres. A lot of things for people to do."

A few pieces of equipment in the back of the shop date back more than 60 years.

Cal Brockamp: "Well this is from this is from Auto Soler, this is from Landis, that's from Adler which is an offshoot of - it's a German Singer. We all know Singer sewing machines."

Cal takes a man's black shoe, hammers on a new leather sole…

{Sound of hammering}

He then takes it to an old machine that cuts off excess leather.

{Sound of machine}

The Brockamps are a simple, unpretentious couple. The price tags on their shoe accessories are cut from a roll of masking tape. Jan also uses the tape to mark off sections on the shoes she dyes. Jan says it's getting harder to dye shoes as the materials are more synthetic.

At the front of the store, Jan helps a customer, one of many coming in during the final hours of business.

Patricia Trocki: "My name's Patricia Trocki. I came in here to find some of these hard to find heel straighteners. (Jan Brockman: "Heel straighteners."} Heel straighteners cuz he walks kind of on the side of his foot. This is a nice little family run thing isn't it? Yeah. And they've been here forever as far as I know. Yeah, it's kind of sad because like I said he's been coming in here as long as I've known him. And it's really kind of sad to see this place go. But, lucky them, they get to retire. Whoo-hoo!"

And that's why the store is closing.

Cal Brockamp: "There's enough to keep you busy, but a lot that you turn away. And then Jan's health problems with her, with her legs."

Jan Brockamp: "Yeah, my knees I've got severe arthritis. The doctor tells me I need total knee replacement, so that's what I'm gonna have done middle of September."

The 4 to 5 month recovery time would make it hard for Jan to work in the shop, so they decided to shut it down. Cal will continue working at Murphy Plywood operating a forklift. He's had the job for more than 22 years. He opens the shoe shop each morning then heads to his other job in the afternoon.

Cal Brockamp: "Well I'm working from ten to eleven."

That's 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Cal plans to work at the mill until he reaches retirement age. Jan says not all the customers have been happy with their decision to close.

Jan Brockamp: "You can't retire. You don't have our permission. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? (laughs) It's hard for them. They're so used to coming here for so many years. They don't feel comfortable about having to make change, like most of us you know. A lot of them are pretty hurt. I've had some of them leave here almost in tears, so it's been, it's been hard on 'em. Yeah."

Just then another customer walks in the door asking if Jan can do a quick repair. Then former cop Marino Underwood comes in to pick up one shoe that needed help.

Marino Underwood: "I've been coming here for about 25 years thereabouts. He's done - I'm a retired Eugene Policeman and he's also done all my boots. And he still does them until now. And my cowboy boots and shoes and some stuff. And then I went on a peace-keeping mission in Kosovo and had boots that were worn out and I brought them back and he did those too. So, today is my last day to pick up my shoes that he's doing, so…"

Before leaving, Underwood steps behind the counter to give Jan a big hug and shake Cal's hand.

Marino Underwood, Jan & Cal Brockamp: "Well give me a hug. Thank you so much for all the years. You bet. Take care of yourself. Okay. Thank you. Thank you again. Good luck to you pal. Yeah, thank you."

Another loyal customer leaves Jan's Specialty Shoe Service for the last time. For KLCC News, I'm Angela Kellner.

Copyright 2010 KLCC.