JD’s Shoe Repair is owned and operated by Julie Derrick, cobbler and burgeoning shoemaker. She entered the trade in 2006, gaining her skills on the job, under the instruction of skilled cobblers in Portland, Oregon.
Working in local shoe repair shops polished Julie’s cobbling abilities and she decided to start her own small business. When Julie thought about starting a shoe repair shop, she recognized that the industry was growing despite the challenging economic environment. More and more people look for ways to both economize and live sustainably, which includes repairing broken shoes instead of replacing them. These practices fit with Julie’s own long-held ethic of maintaining and re-using rather than contributing to the ever-larger heap of garbage in the world.
JD’s Shoe Repair, located at the corner of North Vancouver Avenue and North Fremont Street in Portland, joined a community hub of locally owned small businesses operating out of a former gas station. This community includes dry cleaning services, an espresso stand, a car wash, and various food carts. What was formally a vacant building that attracted crime and graffiti is now a thriving business center for small business start-ups.
JD’s Shoe Repair focuses on the need to stay comfortable on our feet. The shop provides repairs and maintenance to working people of all kinds, from musicians and dancers to janitors and nurses. Shoe repair is for everyone, and Julie strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment in her shop for anyone who needs their shoes to keep going a few more miles.
JD’s Shoe Repair is a proud sponsor of the Rose City Rollers.
Read about us in the Oregonian
