Can Cobblers Survive the Office Apocalypse?

An optimistic visit to North 11th Shoe Repair

This story is part of Repair Month, a series dedicated to taking better care of the stuff we already own instead of buying more of it. Join the discussion thread, here.

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This week, in anticipation of a visit to a cobbler, I paid extra close attention to my feet. The exercise confirmed two things: 1) I wear shoes a lot less than I did before the pandemic. As a freelancer who now works almost exclusively from home, there are admittedly some days when I’ll only put on shoes for a few hours, or not at all. And 2) when I do wear shoes, they take an absolute beating. As I stomped up the stairs from the Q train at rush hour yesterday, my boots loudly crunching crystals of salt with every step, all I could think was: No one works harder than New York City soles.

So I’ve never worn shoes less and wanted to protect them more. In theory, this means that I should buy fewer pairs and invest in taking care of the ones I already own. But where does this leave cobblers? Are they seeing less frequent business because of people like me? Or has it evened out? Also, when these guys inevitably retire, will there be anyone to take their place?

The shoe business has always been subject to the whims of office culture. As routines and dress codes evolve, cobblers adapt. They’ve also weathered their fair share of unprecedented times. But never before have so many New Yorkers spent so much time barefoot, or in their socks and house slippers. Offices currently face an apocalypse; can cobblers survive?

On a snowy Friday morning, I visited North 11th Shoe Repair in Williamsburg to talk to its owner, whose name is Clever. Originally from Brazil, he’s been in the business for about 30 years, starting as a shoe shiner at Drago, a repair shop reportedly founded by a Sicilian in 1912 (!), and working his way up. Clever opened his current spot, which is actually on North 10th, in 2010 when there was “nothing around.”

Clever, the owner of North 11th Shoe Repair.

So many of you recommended North 11th Shoe Repair (full list incoming), that I was eager to visit. When I walked in, the space was clean and quiet, with lots of welcoming light. Clever says the beginning of the pandemic was a “tough time,” but that his business has picked up again. Customers are bringing in “sentimental” items, he says, as well as dress shoes and cowboy boots, plus vintage shoes that they want to resuscitate. This reflects my habits, (minus the cowboy boots), and shopping trends in general. The shoes I brought to Bob’s Shoe and Leather Service in Park Slope last year were mostly secondhand pairs from the RealReal — their low price justified the repair job, I think — plus exorbitantly expensive flats from the Row that I’m convinced aren’t meant for walking, and one disintegrating pair I can’t seem to let go of.

Clever is also an artist. He did the paintings on the wall and sculptures throughout the space.

“It’s hard to find shoes that don’t hurt you, so when you do, you keep fixing them,” Clever says, pointing to his slip-on leather loafers. It’s also harder to find shoes of true high quality now. A brand that may have lasted a few years before now only lasts one. To help protect your shoes, Clever recommends conditioning the leather, keeping them in the box, and affixing rubber soles *before* you wear them, not after you’ve worn them down. I try to take my shoes to Bob as soon as I get them. It’s an extra investment, but to me, it feels worth it.

As for the next generation: “The way I see it, they don’t want to do this kind of work anymore,” Clever says with a shrug. It’s certainly not easy, and not every shop can survive forever. But the good news is that there will always be demand. New York City can’t run without cobblers. Offices, though...? Eh.

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NEXT TIME: I’ve been invited to a “pants party.” Will report back.