https://www.gearpatrol.com/style/shoes-boots/a33865147/goods-and-services-sneakers/ Search --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Today in Gear * Today's Best Deals + Style Deals + Outdoor Deals * Gift Ideas * Podcast * Follow Us on Flipboard * Watches * Motoring + Motorcycles * Food & Drink * Home * Style + Grooming * Tech + Audio * Outdoors * Fitness + Wellness * Follow + Instagram + Facebook + Twitter + YouTube + Flipboard * Newsletter * Gear Patrol Magazine * Gear Patrol Studios * Videos * Advertise with Us * Do Not Sell My Personal Information Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection Terms of Use Newsletter Sign In My Account Sign Out [ ] Type keyword(s) to search [yH5BAEAAAA] Today's Top Stories 1 iPhone 13, Better iPads, Bigger Watches [yH5BAEAAAA] 2 This Panerai Is a First for the Brand Presented by Panerai [yH5BAEAAAA] 3 You Can Order Our Beer Online in Over 30 States [yH5BAEAAAA] 4 The Best Cheap Furniture You Can Buy From Amazon [yH5BAEAAAA] 5 This Duffle Is Perfect for Your Next Adventure In Partnership with In Partnership with In Partnership with YETI Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. The Next Generation of Shoe Cobblers Isn't Repairing Boots An enticing proposition ecologically and aesthetically. [yH5BAEAAAA] By Gerald Ortiz Apr 18, 2021 goods services Goods & Services When you think about shoe cobblers, the image that comes to mind likely involves a multi-generational shop run by an old-timer hunched over a pair of brogues. For the most part, you'd be totally right. It's the shop most people expect to walk into when they look to hand over their Goodyear-welted boots for a new sole. But that image has been fading because the humble craft has been on the decline for decades. A century ago, shoe repair shops numbered over 100,000. Today, there are less than 4,000. The reason? Sneakers have dominated the shoe market. Just last year, Nike made $10 billion in shoe sales in North America alone. Sneakers are a hot commodity thanks to their comfort, style and affordability. Though sneakers are constantly pushing innovation and implementing new technology, they've put a major strain on the shoe repair industry. The same reasons that make sneakers popular are the very ones that hurt shoe cobblers. Unlike traditional shoes, sneakers aren't made to be resoled so much as they're made to be re-bought. While that's forced many shoe cobblers to downsize or close altogether, others have taken on the challenge and are paving the way for the next generation of shoe repair. A leading example is Goods & Services, a shoe repair shop located in Los Angeles' design district. You'll certainly find a pair of Goodyear-welted shoes on the work bench, but most everything else isn't the traditional image of shoe cobbling. The shop feels more akin to a design studio. In a way, it kind of is. Because next to that pair of Viberg boots is also a pair of Air Force 1's being customized by owner Rory Fortune in collaboration with his customer. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goods & Services (@shopgoodsandservices) Shoe repair isn't exactly a hobby one can simply fall into. Often, it's the family business, passed on to the next generation. The store front, along with the machines, the customers, the skills are all transferred. "It's wild to think that you used to be able to go to a trade school and take a course on shoe repair with a professor and a textbook," Fortune says. "That's not a thing anymore -- you're totally on your own." Getting into shoe repair is opaque, but Fortune had an in. His background in the fashion industry certainly gave him cursory knowledge of the trade, but it was a childhood friend whose family ran a shoe repair shop that really gave him a leg up. The shoe repair shop was in need of a refresh and Fortune pitched in to help. That's where the shoe repairing journey started. Goods & Services Goods & Services "On the weekends, I was making stuff in my garage. I started out making shoes from scratch," Fortune says. Over the years, he acquired more skills and more machines to progress his craft. And, eventually, he opened the doors to Goods & Services in 2019. A neighbor to denim brand 3sixteen and workwear/outdoors-focused menswear shop Hatchet Supply, Fortune's shop gets a fair amount of customers looking to have their boots resoled. But what's gotten him more attention is his customized sneakers. "Sure, I get guys inquiring about bespoke shoes, but it's the younger guys that come in and get really excited about the sneakers," he says. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goods & Services (@shopgoodsandservices) Sneakers, as simple as they seem, are actually very complicated to repair. "Sneakers are evolving all the time," Fortune says. "You used to be able to figure out what kind of adhesive a sneaker was using. Now, it's more difficult because shoe companies are coming up with proprietary materials." With traditional shoe repair, the process is more open source. As long as a shoe cobbler has the right tools and materials (and skills), a shoe can be easily repaired. With constant advancement in sneaker technology, cobblers struggle to keep up. But that hasn't stopped Fortune from experimenting, advancing the craft to meet the demand. And, that demand has shaped his business immensely in less than a year. Rare sneakers are the name of the sneakerhead game, so customized one-offs become especially desirable. That's a big boon for Goods & Services since the customer is directly involved in the process. Others have taken notice of his creations, through Instagram and word-of-mouth and the business continues to grow, even in the midst of a pandemic. Goods & Services Goods & Services While his inventive repairs are eye-catching, they're not just for show. He's also upgrading them by converting them into traditional welted constructions. Once converted, a pair of Goods & Services sneakers can be easily resoled by any other cobbler. It's an enticing proposition ecologically and aesthetically. But, it'll cost you. A sneaker conversion can run you about $400, many times over the cost of the sneakers themselves. "It's a lot, but you're paying to actually upgrade the quality of the shoe," Fortune says. The shoe repair industry is still struggling and will continue to struggle. Sneakers aren't going anywhere, a fact that shoe cobblers need to recognize in order to adapt. Though the trade is slow to change, Goods & Services is a shining example of what the next generation of shoe cobblers will look like. Learn More This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io Advertisement - Continue Reading Below More From Profiles [yH5BAEAAAA] Anita Naidu's Best Lessons Come off the MTB Trails [yH5BAEAAAA] This Rad Brand's First Shoes Came Out of a Toaster --------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement - Continue Reading Below [yH5BAEAAAA] Inside the Push to Diversify the Bike World --------------------------------------------------------------------- [yH5BAEAAAA] The Man Behind Some of the World's Best Eyewear --------------------------------------------------------------------- [yH5BAEAAAA] Major Taylor's Wild Ride [yH5BAEAAAA] This Cool Company Is Turning Trash Into Treasure --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- [yH5BAEAAAA] Three IG Accounts for Watch Lovers in Nov, 2020 [yH5BAEAAAA] Three IG Accounts for Watch Lovers in Oct, 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [yH5BAEAAAA] How Patagonia Plans to 'Save Our Home Planet' --------------------------------------------------------------------- [yH5BAEAAAA] Three IG Accounts for Watch Lovers in Sept, 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Profiles * Footwear * Style * The Next Generation of Wireless Earbuds Is Here * The Next Generation of Multi-Room Speakers Is Here * An Early Look at the Next Generation Jeep Wrangler * What the Next Generation of Binoculars Looks Like * Inside the World's Best Hiking Boot Repair Shop * A Classic High Top Is the Best Alternative to the Generic Motorcycle Boot * Gear Patrol Magazine * About Us * Gear Patrol Studios * Advertise * Podcast * Newsletters * Today in Gear * RSS Gear Patrol - For Life's Pursuits Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. (c)2021 Gear Patrol, LLC. All Rights Reserved. * Privacy Notice * Your California Privacy Rights * Interest-Based Ads * Terms Of Use * Sitemap Do Not Sell My Personal Information