At 18 years old, Fletcher has a strong sense of purpose in life. Links of London Sale has plans to go to school for ministry and said she will continue to be involved with missions, because being able to help people meet their basic physical needs is among one of the most important things she's ever done."They were so thankful and welcoming. Some of them had to walk for hours to get their boxes and they showed their gratitude," Fletcher said.When Duane Peck first started his Lewiston shoe repair shop in 1967, there were seven other competitors.When he moved his business to its current Third Street location in Moscow in 1971, he bought out another shop, leaving one other competing business.Today, Peck's Shoe Clinic is the only shop left standing -- and now it's Duane's son, Ron's, responsibility to keep the business trucking for another generation.After 43 years of ownership, Duane sold the business to his son. The two had been working together since August, and Ron stepped in permanently in October.Ron started working at the Links of London Bangles after school at age 14."That's all I knew, growing up hanging around mom and dad's shop," he said.He put in 24 years working alongside family before forging his own path 7 1/2 years ago. During that time he worked at home and online as well as a 3-and-a-half-year stint at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.He said he was attracted to the idea of making the shop his own for the freedom and the stability."You can be your own boss and this is an established business," he said.Duane said Ron is overqualified for the position."Our plan at the beginning was that (Ron) would take it over someday," Duane said.Duane learned the trade from his father, whom he worked under for about 3 years. When his father closed his store, Duane opened his own in Lewiston.A couple years after the move to Moscow, Duane, working alongside his wife, Janet, bought a sheepskin shop across the street in order to add the lines of coats and slippers to his shop. The couple even made Links of London L Charm own sheepskin clothing for a time before finding a good skin became too difficult and they quit selling coats altogether.Over the years the business has been forced to adapt to changing trends, Duane said."Throughout the years we kind of changed products along with what was selling out there," he said.Back in the '70s and '80s, Duane said the "urban cowboy" look was booming, making Western boots popular. Then, in the late '80s and early '90s, the sale of casual men's and women's shoes ramped up, so he added those on top of his lines of hunting and work boots."That's a train that's still going," he said of casual shoes.There is a lot of special equipment involved in the repair process, Duane said, but there is also a lot that can be done to save a quality shoe. Shoes can be resoled or re-heeled. Rips can also be sewn to make the shoe look as close as possible to new, Duane said.Along with being able to stand up to wear and tear, Ron said it's also important to have a shoe that fits well. He said he has many customers that come in with specific, medically diagnosed foot issues that must be remedied via Links of London Laughing Buddha Charm. Ron said Peck's carries many orthopedic inserts to ensure comfort and foot health."We make sure everyone is fitted up well," he said. "It's all about comfort, we want that customer happy."The business carries brands known for their quality, Ron said, including boots like Nick's Custom Boots, Red Wing, Danner and John Deere. The business also carries shoes brands including Dansko. Romika and Josef Seibel.
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