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Hernando Today

It's Good Being A Cobbler

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: February 5, 2009

SPRING HILL - The store had the overpowering smell of polish, ink and rubber.
Older men walk inside, take a deep breath through their noses and say, "Boy, does that smell take me back."
Bob Tomlinson owns and operates A-1 Spring Hill Shoe Repair. The career cobbler hears those comments all the time, mostly from those who remember when shoe shops were more common.
He grew up in Newark, Del., and learned the trade from his uncle. He has owned a shoe-repair store in Hernando County for 20 years. For the last eight years, his shop has been located along Deltona Boulevard near the corner of State Road 50.
Tomlinson has seen the highs and lows of the industry. He has been on quite a high since November.
"It's going to get busier as long as the economy continues as it is," said the 68-year-old businessman. "At the end of the day, I go sit down in my car and I'm like, "ah."
For effect, he stretched the last syllable for a few seconds.
He has piles of shoes sprawled across his large-sized finisher. He had several more scattered across shelves and his work desk. He had enough work to last him the next 40 hours and beyond.
More and more customers entered his store Thursday afternoon.
"I've had this pair for years," said Evelyn Johansen, of Spring Hill, who dropped her black leather boots on the counter. She asked for the soles to be glued. Tomlinson suggested new heels.
He only charged her for the heel replacements, which cost her $9. He requires a half-down payment and doesn't take credit or debit cards.
"If I bought these at a retail store, I'd be paying big bucks now," said Johansen, who is a regular customer.
The recession has shaken most businesses, but some have flourished, particularly those that specialize in used or marked-down products.
Few have benefited from the economic slowdown like cobblers.
That trend is being seen mostly everywhere in the U.S., said John McLoughlin, a spokesman for the Shoe Service Institute of America.
"It's a phenomenon out there right now," he said.
While his group does not keep track of any statistical data, he estimated a 15 to 30 percent bump in the industry since last year.
"It's really been wonderful," McLoughlin said. "I go out and I see these repairmen and they're so happy. The industry has really been hard on them, but now they're doing terrific. It's been great to see that."
As long as the leather remains undamaged, a pair of shoes can last for years. New soles or tread can be replaced for a fraction of the cost of a new pair.
Tomlinson grabbed a pair of black Johnston Murphy dress shoes from the top of his finisher. He is replacing the linings, soles and the tassels. The total price is $56.
"He's saving 100 bucks by coming to me," he said of his customer.
One of Tomlinson's regular customers is Dr. Brian Roebuck, a Spring Hill physician. He always has gone to the store for shoe repairs.
"I'm a frugal (guy)," he said. "I think we should all go back to what we used to do in the past. There's nothing wrong with recycling what we use."
During the Great Depression, there were more than 120,000 shoe repair stores in the country. Today, there are less than 7,000, according to the Shoe Service Institute of America.
Larry Whitman owns Larry's Shoe Repair at 704 W. Jefferson St. in Brooksville. He thinks his repair business has improved by 20 percent since before Thanksgiving. He also sells new shoes, but he has seen a noticeable drop in sales.
He used to compete against four other cobblers in Brooksville when he started his business 31 years ago. He is the only one remaining in the city these days.
One of the reasons for the steep drop in the number of cobblers is the cost of the equipment. A finisher costs more than $30,000. The same goes for a stitcher. That doesn't include the amount of leather, rubber, polish, dyes and other required materials.
"Everything in the shoe repair business industry has tripled," Whitman said.
Both Tomlinson and McLoughlin complain there are not enough young people opting for a career in shoe repair.
"We really need younger blood," McLoughlin said. "The store owners retire and their shops close."
He is seeing one encouraging sign in the industry. A few business-minded people are looking for niches. He knows of one Web-based company that fixes rock-climbing shoes. Others focus on boots worn by police officers and firefighters.
Tomlinson, whose nickname is Shoebe (pronounced shoo-bee), has worked through past recessions. The results are always the same. Once the economy improves, people return to their old spending habits and forget about him.
"Once I knew the economy was going down, I knew it was going to be good for shoemaking," he said. "Once it turns around again, it'll slow down. We're a throw-away industry."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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