Growing up in rural pragmatism, Julie Derrick learned to reuse and repair life’s staples, and now shoes

written by Joni Kabana | photography by Petar Marshall

Growing up in rural Idaho, Julie Derrick was used to repairing what was broken. Clothes were made by hand, mended when torn and remade into other clothes until the fabric was too thin to use, and then those scraps became rag rugs and quilt tops. As a young girl, Derrick was exposed to many modes of fixing, including a favorite memory of watching her farrier grandpa taking things apart to make them into new things.

It is no wonder Derrick, after working in several “heady” jobs, found her way back to her roots—she now owns and operates JD’s Shoe Repair, an old-timey shop that recently moved from Portland to Baker City.

Hammers, end nippers, knives and awls are found in abundance at this shoe repair shop, and upon entering, one feels like they have just stepped back in time. People bring equipment found in basements and garages to Derrick, and a sales rep at Oregon Leather Company, where she buys most of her supplies, keeps an eye out for such specialized equipment.

In 2005, Derrick and her son were in a car accident, and she spent her recovery time evaluating her life choices. Repairing things was a lifelong passion, so she decided to take a job in a shoe repair shop (after showing the owner her crocheting skills indicating she was good with her hands and tools) to see if her vision of this career move had any merit. On day one, she knew this was her calling. “Shoes hold all the stories of our lives and carry us every step through every day,” she said. “To revive them is part of my contribution to the community.” Derrick readily admits that shoe repair pays very little. But her career has brought riches in relationships beyond pay in a tradeoff that she is always willing to make while “living creatively on the fringe.”

Now living in Baker City, she is excited to meet the people who work on saddles, horse tack and other items needed in a ranching area. She still makes the trek to Portland to pick up and deliver shoes, ever riding the wave of her childhood learned value: Don’t throw away what can be fixed. See more at www.jdshoerepair.com, or, better yet, stop in at JD’s Shoe Repair located at 2306 Broadway St. in Baker City.