KAMLOOPS - People have been bringing their expensive broken shoes and belts to get repaired at JJ's Shoe Repair in Kamloops and not getting them back, so the local business association has taken action.

The North Shore Business Improvement Association seized an estimated 500 to 800 pairs of shoes from JJ’s Shoe Repair on Wednesday, June 13.

Executive director Jeremy Heighton says the shoes are currently at the Wilson Street House on Tranquille Road. It is not far from the now closed JJ’s Shoe Repair.

All the items recovered from the store are in bags waiting to be counted, and put out on tables so people can come claim them. Heighton estimates this process will begin early next week, and says people will be notified on social media as to when they will be ready.

“A lot of this is going to be honesty,” Heighton says as many of the shoes are not tagged and are in varying states of repair. “I expect some people won’t want to pick them up, but I also expect some people will."

He says there will be a 30 to 40 day period during which the shoes can be claimed and after that they will be either donated or thrown away.

JJ’s Shoe Repair closed to the public sometime in November 2017. The only communication the business owner left with the customers was a sign on the door saying he was sick, and a time as to when the store would be open for people to come get their belongings. Apparently that never happened.

Heighton calls it a “long standing issue” and says the goal was to create something positive for the community out of this experience. So when people come to pick up their shoes they will have an opportunity to make a donation to the local United Way.

“It’s an opportunity to turn this challenge story into a really positive community building story,” he says.

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