Jul
5
Shoe Repair Observations, from Alan Millhone
July 5, 2008 |
In my area there has been a shoe repair shop in the same location for decades. Originally it was named 'Meintels'. They retired and it was taken over by a family named 'Haddad', who have operated it for 30 years. Since high school I have always worn Florsheim shoes and boots and like to keep same polished and use heel and top 'taps'. In years past they were metal and now are of a hardened plastic material. Over the years when taking my footwear to Haddads the owner would give me a tag and tell me to come back the following Thursday for pick-up.
Now things have changed … The other day and recently when I take my shoes there they do my work, polishing, etc. while I wait. The owner tells me they have lost 'market share' due to throw-away shoes made of rubber soles, etc. Haddads is the last remaining shoe repair shop left in my area. " Gus's " was the other and it is now closed.
Sitting there waiting I observed everything in the store; the old glass display cases, various colors and lengths of shoe laces, many colors of Kiwi shoe polish, etc. Two products brought back memories of a time past in my life… CADET shoe enamel and BRASSO brass/metal polish. In the 1960's I went to Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. While there we had to keep our shoes to a high mirror shine ('spit shine') and our dress uniforms had a brass buckle that had to be kept tarnish free with the use of BRASSO. Military school was another time in my life and perhaps another story sometime.
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Old Frank was the last one in my town in Georgia. You have to apprentice for 3-4 years. Still going strong here in NYC. We even have a lady and two men cobblers on the sidewalk under the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown.
Very interesting subject , regards for putting up. “It is much easier to try one’s hand at many things than to concentrate one’s powers on one thing.” by Quintilian.