Note: This is not about the dessert or the drink. If you want to discuss those, you can do so in the Food & Drinks section. I preferred the time when every town had a cobbler, although he would sometimes simply advertise his craft as shoe repair. Often, they often were shoemakers as well, offering custom shoes. I liked being able to bring my shoes in to be repaired. With that as an option, it was affordable to buy better shoes, to begin with, as they could be repaired several times before being discarded. In that way, I didn't have to go through the breaking in period, nor would I have to search for another good pair of shoes to replace the ones that had worn out. I had a pair of boots that I loved, which I had bought while in high school, and still wore often when I was in my early 30s. They were a soft, high-topped boot, very comfortable and good to wear while walking in snake country, I found, once I moved to California. By the time my son threw them out while he was packing up my stuff for my move from California to Texas, they had been re-soled and patched several times. They could no longer be made to look new, but they were comfortable. By then, I could no longer find a boot like that. Now, because there are no cobblers, at least not near anywhere that I have lived, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on shoes or boots, but I have to keep looking for new ones.
Yes don't see many cobblers now, we are down to one in our area Its a throwaway society Us poor folks would mend our own shoes, my Dad had a metal shape thing (made of iron I think) that he placed the shoe on, can't think what it was called One time I had to wear a pair of tap shoes to school - you could sure hear me coming
There are at least two cobblers in my immediate vicinity. Both are Russian and/or Eastern European. They bring these important skills as they come from a culture of no-throwaways, must repair. 2 Cobblers. The blessings and curses of big city life. I consider the cobblers a blessing, you bet. Repair all sorts of stuff they do. Zippers, watch repair, patch-ups. ETC..........
It was called a 'Last'' @Patsy Faye My grandfather was a Cobbler, with his own little shop...and it was my father's first trade, although he ultimately became a joiner. However we always had many 'lasts'' in the house, because he would fix our shoes sometimes, and make shoes for others' occasionally. I can still remember the smell of the horrible glue, he used to stick the leather soles on mens' shoes... There was also a black paint type stuff, the name I can't remember and it was applied with a strange little brush, over the soles... ..
My dad was a power lineman, and his line boots were tall and came up to just below his knees. They were pretty expensive to buy, and the main part that needed repair was the soles. My mom would take them to the shoe mender shop, which was in Spokane, when they needed re-soled, or any other kind of repair. We had a leather shop in Sandpoint, and they repaired everything from shoes to saddles; so I am not sure why my mom went all the way into Spokane to use the cobbler there; maybe he specialized in boot repair. My dad always used neetsfoot oil to keep his line boots soft and pliable, and after I got my first pony, I used that oil on my cowboy boots, as well as on all of my horse tack. We had an old oil-burning stove, and I would warm up the neetsfoot oil on the top of the stove before I put it on my cowboy boots, or bridle reins. We do have a cobbler here in Huntsville, and Bobby had to take a pair of his cowboy boots in for new soles. That has been a few years ago, so I am not sure if the person is still there or not, and most of the footwear we get is the cheaper, replaceable kind now, too.
I love these kinds of stories @Yvonne Smith , simply because I don't know the areas of which you describe, and I get a chance to look them up on google street view.. and I'm taken on a little holiday.. ..but that aside, the rest of the story is really interesting too..., not being a rider myself either.. BTW we have cobblers here too..they're all modern now of course unlike in my childhood , and often they charge more to repair shoes than it would be to buy new ones..but they're good if very expensive shoes need repairing!!