The death of the cobbler - the ultimate proof of consumer society

[BimboBob]

Segs.

Taps round our way.

 

[meeesh]

We used to put them on our Gibsons because they were leather soled, slippy as fuck on lino surfaces and school coridors. They used to make a right din but you were ' dead 'ard '

Same, although we had brogues with segs on, proper noise walking down corridors, then as I got older and more braver I wore steel toe capped boots., steel on the outside, and threatened a few teachers they'd get it up their arse if they acted a prick, like most did, but was in last year of school that, I wanted to repeat the pain as to what they dished out with the cane over the years, fucking hated teachers, still do I suppose :)

 

[stonerblue]

Once when I was really flush I bought a pair of expensive leather shoes. They needed soling and heeling after about three months. So I went back to cheap, ordinary shoes, that last much longer and can be binned once they're too bad to be worn in the garden.

Hence the death of the cobbler. Apart from the King and the Duke of Westminster who in 2024 wears leather shoes and sends their valet to get them cobbled every few weeks?

You'd be surprised

 

[snorky]

There's a charity shop next door to our cobblers, It'd be cheaper to get some shoes from there than pay the repair prices.

You have to queue outside the charity shop though.


It's dead mans shoes.



Sorry

 

[TinFoilHat]

Another in a long line of skills being lost to disposable consumerism that's rampant in society.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Or the curved metal 'things' you put on the outside of your heel to stop it wearing down.

Blakey's.

You can still get them from your local cobbler (aka Amazon)

 

[mcfcphil]

I was going to come up with a witty remark but have now forgotten what it was. Darn it!

Very good. Got me in stitches

 

[stonerblue]

Started in the shoe repair game as a YTS back in the 80's. That lasted (pun intended) two weeks before i moved onto a proper three year apprenticeship with Timpsons in the Arndale, where i was trained to craftsman standard. I was then 'headhunted' and offered triple wages to work at Bury market.
Back in those days it was a licence to print money. An average days takings on a Saturday would be around a grand. Considering we charged £3 for a pair of stiletto heels they were busy days.

The guy that trained me died suddenly and the reason given was his lungs had 'filled up' with dust from scouring leather and rubber. I got out of the game and didn't get back into it for 20 years.
When i returned to Manchester i got a job with Mister Minute and soon became an area manager, looking after several shops in the North West. Eventually i set myself up as a 'relief', looking after shops for independent repairers when they went on holiday.
I've had my own place now for years and have managed to get down to 15hrs a week at work. High profit margins means i don't have to do mountains of work.

I still do high end work as well as standard stuff and unusual jobs (fixed Rico's mums dog-chewed handbag last week) but my main earner now is keys/locks/suites.

 

[stonerblue]

Blakey's.

You can still get them from your local cobbler (aka Amazon)

I refuse to sell them as they are slippy and fuck your ankles up. I do do a quarter steel heel for 25 notes though. Mainly done for old soldiers.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

We used to put them on our Gibsons because they were leather soled, slippy as fuck on lino surfaces and school coridors. They used to make a right din but you were ' dead 'ard '

And when you were certain you were on your own you could release your inner Fred Astaire and tap dance down the corridor…