Is the cobbler dead?

[rth97601]

I understand that shoe repair and tailoring are making a comeback as people try to save during this downturn. I know of several such businesses here in Rochester, and many of my friends have their favorites (I'm in grad school, so I do run with the kind of poor-but-professional crowd that would patronize such businesses). Funny thing is, many of the tailors/cobblers I know of (including my own favorites) seem to be foreigners who learned the trade elsewhere, or really old, or both. Not a good sign for the future.

Hopefully, these small-shop trades survive another generation. It's nice to be able to buy quality shoes and get them revived when they wear thin, or keep quality clothing fitting well and in good repair. Knowing that you can maintain your wardrobe gives us poor folks the incentive to buy high quality stuff instead of the cheap and disposable. These professionals are sometimes the only thing standing between me and polyester-n-plastic.

 

[LeverTime]

Like others have said, there are lots around, but the signs often say "shoe repair."

My experience with cobblers wasn't ever that stunning... seems like I could have picked up a new pair of boots for what they charge to do retreads now.

If you have a quality pair of shoes or boots it is almost certainly cheaper to have them recrafted than to buy a new pair. I've bought used shoes for almost nothing and had them recrafted. The end result is a high quality pair of shoes for as much or less than a pair of the "shoe-shaped objects" that most department stores seem to carry.

 

[rgc]

I am just about to send a pair of Alfred Sargent (for Brooks Brothers) loafers off to B. Nelson in N.Y. to be re-crafted. I just figured these days you need to look where the demand is to find the pros. I don't think would trust my local cobbler with re-crafting these. I do trust him with the occasional pair of heels and will try him out with re-crafting a pair of Allen Edmonds in the near future.

rgc

 

[galopede]

Just about every cobbler I know is getting on in years ... perhaps that's why the English always talk of a "load of old cobblers".

Cobblers is Cockney rhyming slang for testicles! Cobbler's Awls...

Bet you wanted to know that!

Gareth

 

[blantyre]

I believe that shoe menders are experiencing good business - in a recession people repair shoes rather than throw them away and replace them once the heal wears a few mm. I use a local chap who complains endlessly in a strong accent about practically everything but does very fine work, including leather resoles and restitching.

 

[Deltaboy]

I have a nice one that keeps my boots and dress shoes in fine order.

 

[mk-ultra]

Not dead at all. I use Shoe-A-New in Minneapolis, MN. http://www.shoeanew.com

 

[DSB]

I visit the cobbler 2-3 times a year. Just google "shoe repair" in your area.

 

[adfischer]

I know I'm a little late to the post but I had to laugh because the same thing happened to me. A fellow co-worker stepped on my heel and damaged it. I made the comment that I needed to find a good cobbler to fix them and they all laughed at me, made jokes, and talk in old English all through lunch. Of course all of them were wearing Chinese made shoes purchased at a discount store while I was wearing a pair of handcrafted Johnson & Murphys.

The problem today is that we live in a 'disposable society.' We go for what is fast and cheap, not what is good quality and lasting. The thinking is very short term. It's all about what is the impact TODAY rather than in total. Who cares if the shoes will only last 6 months, I can go buy some more because they are cheap - right?

I have been wearing the same high quality shoes for many years and they still look like new. Not only that, I would bet my feet feel much better than theirs at the end of the day. To top it, but I have pride in what I wear. Most of these guys shoes are scuffed, stained, or badly worn (after a short time). For a modest investment and a little time to keep them up, I can have great looking shoes that last a very long time. It's actually cheaper in the long run, but hey, its all about TODAY.

 

[The Mick]

I live near a Marine bass so all those types of places exist around here. Lots of Barbers, Tailors and Cobblers here.