The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Finding just the right fit
Connecticut Boot thrives on Water Street
TORRINGTON — Online shopping has many advantages, but there are some things people should really purchase in person.
Pandemic aside, buying a good pair of boots or shoes from an experienced salesperson just makes sense to Fred Jury, owner of Connecticut Boot & Shoe LLC. Jury recently moved his business from a small space at 23 Water St. to 41 Water St., and he’s settling in, offering a selection of top brands.
Many of his customers are utility workers, manufacturing and shop employees who are on their feet for 10 to 12 hours a day and need the comfort of good shoes that will last, while protecting their feet, Jury said.
For a guy who’s working outside all day, a thick leather boot with good soles is a must. If he’s pouring tar or asphalt, or handling heavy equipment, his feet will take a beating without the protection of proper footwear.
Jury can even cap the toes of work boots with
Tough Toe, a compound that won’t ever come off and protects the boot from scuffing and tearing.
“I’m the only person in New England certified to use this stuff,” he said, demonstrating how he applies the compound to the shoe.
“The average customer, because of the quality of my shoes, will come in every 18 to 24 months to get a new pair,” Jury said. “If you’re doing outside, like landscaping, and you mow grass all day, well, grass is acidic, and it wears down the leather.”
All this knowledge is part of his job, but shoe expertise is something many people know nothing about, because they shop online, Jury said. He’s often discouraged by the impact of internet shopping on his business.
“Amazon just kills us,” Jury said, referring to small businesses, particularly specialty stores like his, which are not easy to find. “But people should realize that they’re not getting any expertise. For people who will let me measure their feet and fit them, they’re going to get the best shoe for what they need, and what they do for a living.”
On a recent afternoon, a customer from Plymouth came in to pick up new boots, which Jury had ordered nearly 10 months earlier. Filling orders and restocking the various brands he sells — Red Wing, Keen, Carolina and Thorogood, for example — is difficult these days, he said.
“I can’t get them, there’s always a waiting period,” Jury said. “Everyone wants ‘just in time’ inventory, but the manufacturers are holding off on shipping until the orders are paid for ... and they can’t keep up with the demand. It used to be that manufacturers had them, and I’d get an order within a week. Now, unless I already have a particular pair in stock, customers have to wait.”
Fortunately, the customer, who said his name was Dan, was happy to wait for the right fit. He chose pair of Red Wing size 16Bs that will last for years. He put them on, strolled around the store a few times, paid and was on his way.
Years of experience have made Jury an expert on fitting shoes to a person’s feet.
“Guys who work in a shop or factory, eight or ten hours a day, for 30 years — their feet are shot,” he said. “They need supplemental arch support, good soles . ... When they start looking at good shoes, it’s because they’re older and wiser.
“I teach people about the importance of a good sole, about eyelets and laces, and I measure them so they know exactly what size they are,” Jury said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. If a guy has hammertoes, for example, there’s a boot that has a good toe box so they don’t hurt.”
The store also carries belts, laces and socks. “I’m a sock expert, too,” Jury said. “Guys come in and don’t understand why the back of the boot is worn out, or why they get smelly . ... Socks are really important.”
Jury opened his first shoe store in Burlington in 1995, then moved to Thomaston, where he ran a stores at several locations until 2015. He also did business out of a truck, visiting factories and selling safety shoes in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. “I turned 65 in 2018, and I was driving this big truck. It wasn’t safe anymore, so I sold it,” he said.
In 2018, he moved to Torrington. He chose Water Street because of its central location, and likes being downtown.
He lives in Torrington with his wife, Natalie, and two children, Reagan, 19, and Emily, 17. “My wife is happy I’m here,” Jury said. “I don’t say I’m semiretired, because I work all the time; but I’m able to collect my Social Security, and I have the store. I like what I do.”
Jury has adopted an NBOP (nobody beats our pricing) approach, and keeps track of the prices of the brands he sells by checking online and at other stores. “I adopted NBOP in November 2020, and my earnings are down,” he said. “But I like what I do, and when a guy comes in with a skinny foot, for example, he knows he’s hard to fit. I’ve got shoes for him, and we’re both happy.”
To reach Connecticut Boot & Shoe, call 860-482-7100 or visit http://ctboot.com.