The Village Cobbler

treeguy64 said:
I really like the atmosphere of old shoe repair shops. Brings back faded memories of my very young childhood. The one I go to gives my Spanish a nice workout.
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Spanish Shoemaker Cobbler recipe
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The proprietor of Dom's Shoe Repair in South Philly is a charismatic character who cares deeply about the neighborhood he serves.

Dom the South Philly Cobbler
 
Re-acquainted With That Wonderful Goo:

I found myself remembering a great product they had back in the 80’s and 90’s called Shoe Goo. I remember using it with great results back then. This led me to do an internet search, and sure enough, the product still exists today. How can I describe it – it’s basically like model builders glue but a tad thicker, and is more flexible when it dries. You put it on your shoes, filling in the holes and ripped areas, and any other areas you want to rebuild or protect, then leave it to dry for about 24 hours. It dries to a very hard rubbery consistency that is solid enough to stand up to some serious grip tape punishment. One application lasted a couple of weeks as opposed to the duct tape every few days. A 1oz. tube lasts for about 3.5 applications – so do the math and you end up with a few more months on those ripped up Airwalks. It certainly isn’t pretty – in fact it’s downright ugly, but it works great! Here’s a shot of my shoes with a fresh application.

airwalks_shoe_goo.jpg
 
(Not sure what year this was written)
Quaker Shoe Repair owner James Spinelli will lay down his tools for the first time in 84 years September 1.

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By Matt Skoufalos

"It’s only as Haddonfield cobbler James Spinelli approaches his 100th birthday that he’s acknowledging the possibility of taking a break from his life’s work."

“Soon to be 95 years of age, time to retire,” reads a handwritten sign in the window of Quaker Shoe Repair, the Tanner Street business that’s been his home and workplace for decades.
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“84 years of shoe service + 74 years of being in business,” it continues.“Thank you, James David Spinelli.”

‘Mother and Dad didn’t have much of anything’
"Work has been a part of Spinelli’s life since the age of 11, when he was a Depression-Era kid growing up in Camden City. On the way home from a basketball game at the YMCA, he and a few friends passed by a shoe shop on Broadway and were offered jobs. His wages were $1.50 per week, but as Spinelli recalls, “a penny and a nickel was a big deal to me because Mother and Dad didn’t have much of anything.”

"When he was 14, Spinelli said the owner told him he’d “messed up a pair of shoes” and owed the shop $22 for his error. The only thing he could think to do was leave town. “Mother didn’t have that kind of money,” he said. “I was running away from home with thirty-two cents in my pocket.”

"Spinelli headed over the Ben Franklin Bridge to what he thought was the end of the road, and spotted a shoe shop at Market and 69th Street. The manager there told him, “Go back to school,” but on his way out the door, another cobbler directed Spinelli to the nearby Quaker Shoe Repair."
 
I didn't read all of the posts, but I bet someone already wrote about the following. Being a shoe cobbler is a lost art and a thing of the past. No one replaces soles or heels anymore. I knew an old Greek shoe cobbler that I would stop in at his shop just to watch him work. He did it all by hand, except he did have a trimmer for the new soles he put on. I liked watching him put a handful of nails into his mouth and then brig them out to his lips one at a time as he nailed the new heels on. This guy was amazing.

He always wanted to shine my shoes the old fashioned way. I would sit up on his chair which was on something like a platform and he would never use a rag to put the polish on. He did it by hand. After brushing my shoes, he would buff it out and then 'snap' the cloth. They really shined and almost looked like patent leather when he was finished or like glass. He only charged $2.00, but wouldn't take a dime from me. At Christmas time, I would stop by and give him a big basket of assorted chocolates. He once told me that his family loved Swiss chocolates, so I bought him a gift box from some Swiss chocolatier out of my wife's one magazine.

Shine.jpg
 
Meanderer said:
Re-acquainted With That Wonderful Goo:

I found myself remembering a great product they had back in the 80’s and 90’s called Shoe Goo. I remember using it with great results back then. This led me to do an internet search, and sure enough, the product still exists today. How can I describe it – it’s basically like model builders glue but a tad thicker, and is more flexible when it dries. You put it on your shoes, filling in the holes and ripped areas, and any other areas you want to rebuild or protect, then leave it to dry for about 24 hours. It dries to a very hard rubbery consistency that is solid enough to stand up to some serious grip tape punishment. One application lasted a couple of weeks as opposed to the duct tape every few days. A 1oz. tube lasts for about 3.5 applications – so do the math and you end up with a few more months on those ripped up Airwalks. It certainly isn’t pretty – in fact it’s downright ugly, but it works great! Here’s a shot of my shoes with a fresh application.
Click to expand...
Not sure how I missed this thread......or should I say tread.......

Anyhoo, I'm a dedicated disciple of Shoo Goo

Saved many a sole with it

My last rites, after many many years, and more than a few tubes of goo, for my mountain trods;

shoes.jpg



shame too, tread still had many hikes left
shoes 3.jpg


jus' no place to put the goo anymore
shoes 2.jpg

Basically, the uppers remained intact on some

so

The transformation to sandals was natch
(pardon the deformed big toe....no goo for that'n)

slippers.jpg
 

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