Looking Back/Looking Forward

Growing up, there used to be people going around who were called “shoe makers”. They didn’t really make shoes but for some reason, they were known as shoe makers instead of cobblers. They repair shoes rather than actually making them. They also polished shoes too.

Most people go to church on Sundays so those days were their “market days”. Market days meaning those were the days they made the most sales. They roam everyday though, but on Sundays you usually see more of them in the morning looking for customers.

I saw one today and I remembered how I used to see them almost everyday when I was a kid. Shoes weren’t affordable as it is now, so when you shoe gets a problem, you look for ways to repair it, and not buy another. People buy new shoes everyday this days. You were even seen as wealthy if you had too many pairs.

Birkenstock that I bought in 2017 got spoil some weeks back, so I’ve been hoping to meet one of them to fix it for me. I met one today and I invited him over to work on it for me. A new Birkenstock will cost me about 30$ whiles repairing this one will cost 3$.

The cobblers also polish shoes and people used to use their services very often when I was younger. Buying a shoe polish as compared to using their services was more expensive back then but now getting a shoe polish and brush is quite easy.

They also add a professional touch unlike you doing it yourself. I was glad to have met him today as I was planning on taking it to an actual shoemaker to have it repaired. They most likely would have charged me more. Lots of things have changed now and al those jobs are lost now.