the cobbler’s
been here forever
or as long as I can remember
coming here
end of long narrow hallway
in the mall
half empty half full
making a comeback
reimagined
in new ways
good news for the space
shoes still need fixing
that’s never changed
cobbler’s still here
ready to help
people know where to find him
right where he’s always been
at the end of the line
—
“i’m with you ’til the end of the line.”
-captain america, marvel comics
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I didn't have my glasses on.... 
Great to see that shop still trading. We have two like that in our local town, one of which additionally takes in dry cleaning. And the other one is also a locksmith.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I love these people who have hung in there, needed services
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Many a time the shoe gave away in the middle of a shopping trip and I got it repaired. A very useful person to have around
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perfect place to be –
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Yup! It was in Seattle.
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The shoe repair I used closed almost 10 years ago. I’m sure there’s another one in town, but I don’t know where to look. When we were in Amsterdam, this summer, a pair of shoes my wife had broke and I found a shoe repair that could do it in a day. Funny, he was also a tailor and a dry cleaner. Have a great day.
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yes, they have to be a bit of everything
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Glad they are still there!
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me too!
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I like this poem, there is peace in continuity.
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there is and people take comfort in that
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The idea of the mall has dramatically changed in the age of online commerce – and it’s comforting to see the small businesses that make it through the economic challenges. 🙏 I think places like tailors and shoe repair stores will stand the test of time and technology changes.
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yes, glad they are surviving as things around them are literally changing
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Cobblers are getting harder to find! We have one in our little mall in my town that, thankfully, is still there.
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we have two and I feel lucky for that !
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You ARE!
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A venerable service.
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absolutely and still standing as the mall around him changes with the times
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It’s really amazing how many shops like this exist in New York City…tiny little places packed with shoes being fixed…
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So happy to see this. We have cobblers here, too, in a third-generation family shoe store in the heart of our southern Minnesota town.
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Lovely poem and glad he is still there. It’s sad to see many iconic stores closing. ❤️
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Oh, I love this, Beth! There is something so comforting about seeing businesses still doing what they have always done! Cher xoxoxo
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Haven’t thought about or needed a cobbler for several decades but I remember well the coziness, the warm smell of leather, and the friendly craftsmen who made repairs that no one else could. The torn strap on a favorite leather purse. The rip in my son’s brand new green sneakers. Happy to hear that in this era of planned obsolescence, cobblers are still with us.
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Yes. Something about his presence is very comforting
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It’s so nice to have a shop like that. I’m glad your mall is making a comeback. Ours are not, no matter what they seem to do.
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They are trying the space in a different way, mixed use, it’s a work in progress. housing, grocery store, coffee shops, some stores, etc
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I remember well the shoemaker shops I frequented when I was wearing dress shoes to work. They certainly recognized the different value of the shoes I wore. A mall near us has a similar shop but sadly I have only worn running shoes (even with a suit) for the last 23 years and I donate them.
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There must be enough people to keep him going – yes, they definitely know the quality of the shoes
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I don’t know what it says about me, but I’ve never used a shoe repair business. I think I wear my shoes until they are beyond repair…
I wish this business the best!
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I went to one with my Birkenstocks and he gave them life for another year!
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There are some things that AI can’t help with. Less than 50% of the shops in our mall are now open. Only one of the anchor stores remains.
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Right, that seems to be the norm for many malls now. Our mall is reinventing itself as a mixed use space with apartments, grocery, coffee shops and some stores
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Yes, shoe and watch repair shops are a must in every mall.
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