boot repair

[mikemercer]

ive been looking for a new carrear and looking into shoe repair but worried about this day in age with forign made 10 dollar throw away shoe do any of you consider take shoes or boots to a shoe repair shop or do you just buy new ones?

 

[Rick]

When I was in the military I was friends with a man who had a boot shop. Majority of his work was military and I would help him sometimes resoling/repairing and also shining as that was very popular. He did get a fair amount of regular shoes in for repair. I think most people throw them away and replace, I know I do. I would say if you wanted to get into boot repair to do it outside a large military base.

 

[mikemercer]

no miltary base around me but thanks for the idea

 

[Rick]

no miltary base around me but thanks for the idea

Well otherwise I don't think there is much demand for it really. I have a shoe repair near my house now and that place is always empty. Gotta go where the money is.

 

[Katnapper]

ive been looking for a new carrear and looking into shoe repair but worried about this day in age with forign made 10 dollar throw away shoe do any of you consider take shoes or boots to a shoe repair shop or do you just buy new ones?

I used to always take my work boots in to get re-soled. A couple of times I had trouble with grommets coming loose, so got them fixed too. But now it seems a lot of the work boots they make (or at least the ones I've bought in the past few years) are the kind that the sole is a continuous part of the boot, and therefore not re-soleable. So I wear them till their dead, and then throw them away.

Other types of shoes I also just get rid of if too old, shot, or something I don't like about them. Seems like the days of people commonly taking their shoes in for repair are gone. Nowadays it's throw it away and buy new. Who knows though... with the recession maybe shoe repair will make a comeback. But I honestly doubt it. That was back when they made shoes worth repairing and keeping. Now manufacturers mostly make cheap ones that arent' worth it, and most people have never even heard of a cobbler, let alone know what one is or does.

 

[PhilinYuma]

The days of cobbling have gone the way of typewriter repair. My dad had a last and fixed all our shoes when I was a kid (mostly replacing soles and heels), but it was a bit old fashioned even then. I don't even know where you'd learn the trade, nowadays.

Tooled leather, though, like custom belts, is still popular, and you could sell on Ebay, untaxed.

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[mikemercer]

i guess you could call me old fashened but i want them days back which is sad sinse im only 26 i rember as a kid going up with my grandpa took get his work boots repaired