When was the last time you took a pair of shoes to the cobbler?
According to this article from BBC News, more and more Americans are rediscovering the advantages of repairing their shoes instead of buying a new pair.
Will she mend them when they get old?
Repairing worn out shoes is a lot cheaper than replacing them, and so this is one business which is benefitting from the current economic situation. It’s good for the environment too, although probably not as good for shoe makers.
I’ve never had a pair of shoes repaired! Maybe it depends on the cost of labour – I’ve always assumed it would be expensive.
In reality it’s probably because I just want a new pair of shoes! Isn’t that a sign of the times?
Yes, I guess it depends on the price of the shoes compared to the price of the cobblers. The woman they quoted in the article had spent USD1000 on hers so in that case it probably makes a lot of sense!
When I was a student I had one favourite pair of boots that kept breaking and I took them to be repaired loads of times. They started mending them for free in the end! I think I decided at that point it was time to give up on them.