Boot repair business returns to Polson area

From broken sandals to worn out cowboy boots, area residents now have a way to keep their favorite footwear kicking with the return of local leather worker Dale Lane.

After selling his former Kalispell operation, the Mission Valley native celebrated a homecoming of sorts in April with the opening of Lane’s Boot and Shoe Repair in Polson.

“It feels great to be closer to home,” Lane said, noting that he passed through eight stop lights during the mile-and-a-half drive to his old office.

Located in the business complex just west of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge, Lane’s latest shop offers a full assortment of leather services, from saddle repair to custom wallets and billfolds. Lane said he worked all winter to rebuild the inventory of sewing machines and hand tools that he left behind in the Flathead Valley.

“I’m about three-quarters of the way there,” he said.

The store fills a void in Polson, which, along with many small towns across the country, has not offered a shoe repair service for some time now.

“Out in the rural areas it’s kind of a dying art,” Lane said. “Very few people are in it still.”

Lane said many people have become accustomed to the commercialized concept of “disposable” footwear.

“They don’t want you to get them repaired,” he said.

But with a pair of solid leather boots costing upwards of $300, Lane said it’s usually worth shelling out for a new sole.

This economical element prompted Lane to enter the trade in the 1980s.

“I started fixing my own stuff,” he said. “Pretty soon I was fixing everyone else’s stuff too.”

Learning the craft takes time and practice, according to Lane. He said one of the toughest challenges involves working the heavy-duty sewing machines, which, as he can knows from personal experience, can drive a three-inch needle through a person’s finger with ease.

“Oh yeah,” Lane said. “It can happen.”

After focusing on leather repair for most of his career, Lane plans to try his hand at custom boot making. Over the winter he apprenticed for a week with renowned boot smith Mike Ryan of Helena. While Lane’s first creations were a little rough around the edges, he said he enjoys the process.

“That’s the next big adventure,” he said.

Since opening his Polson shop in April, Lane said he’s been surprised by the range of customers that have trickled in.

“You never know what’s going to come through the door,” he said, adding that “dog encounters” are a particularly good source of business.

Although his shop is currently a one-man operation, Lane said he could be looking for additional help as business begins to grow. As with many traditional trades, apprenticeships remain the best way to enter the unique industry.

“You can’t hire someone off the street,” he said. “It takes a bit of a different individual.”