Of course these cobblers charge so much cheaper than those in air conditioned malls. To replace the rubber of heels cost about $2 - $3 while in the malls would cost so much more.
The cobbler would offer the customer a seat while he mend the shoes. If you are not in urgent need of the shoes, you can put the shoes with the cobbler and collect another day.
I used to have my shoes repaired by them but I dont anymore cause I dont ruin my shoes anymore in disco....lol. During my teens, disco is the "in thing" and we used to dance every weekend and our poor shoes cant take it...lol. My disco friends and I have very good memory of the good moments we had back then but now we are all mothers of grown up kids. :) It is our kids turn to go dancing.
These cobblers can be found in Chinatown near People's Park Complex.
18 comments:
Thats old fashion shoes repaired ..
I let never shoe repaired LOL
I buy new one .....
(My parents always let their shoes repaired )
But they must work hard
(I think),for the money !!
Cobblers like these are a dying breed. Perhaps in the rural towns the trade and skills are still passed on. We will miss them like those who sharpen our knives etc.
Yes it is a dying art.
This is the side effect of progress, greed.
Interesting post. I haven't seen them around for quite awhile. Nice to bring back old memories. :D
alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex
So..you were a 'disco queen'? lol. I used to love going to dances in the teenage years. It is hard to find a shoe repair person here...
It will be sad if these useful men cease cobbling. These days shoes are often very cheap and are not meant to last very long, its only the very best shoes i would have repaired and they don't fall to pieces very often.
Disco - yep, I'm in the same generation! We still listen to those music. A few days ago, when my 8 yr old wrote in a Friendship Book, she wrote that she loves Abba & Bananarama! That happens when you have a mother who plays such music in the car!
I am glad you took them up and posted on them. Probably with some help they may be able to establish something modern in the same trade.
i hope that some people will still avail their service as this might be the only way of living that they know.
beautiful street photography
True, walk into a mall and it is 10 times more...that's what we have to pay for the free aircond. Happy weekend ;p
Hi Alice,
Is the old man beside John Little still operating, I once read his son was training the trade. I often see women hanging around while he fixes the shoe when I got out of the MRT Sumerset Station on my way to Robinson.
Pity if they die out.
Here in Nz, they charge exorbitant price. One day, a little tip of my heel of one shoe, don't know when it fell of. Mr. Minit wanted to charge me $26, and a self own cobbler $21. I was appalled. I waited till this year when my husband went to Singapore and Malaysia on a lecturing tour.
He got it fixed at less than Singapore's cobbler rate in Malaysia.
When I joyously say how cheap it was, my cheeky son said, add the air ticket.
So if your shoe needs fixing when the China town cobblers have gone, head across the causeway. Don't go to JB though. LOL
Ann
p/s thanks for your comment on the Siamese twins. It's a heavy topic that needs some thinking before I respond.
BTW, has the minister Khaiw given the green light?
Another thing people didn't know, it broke up the marriage. So sad, such young couple.
Glad that you all like the photo.
Ann, if you are talking about the John Little at Specialist Centre, then they must have gone somewhere cause Specialist Centre had been demolished to make way for a new and bigger shopping mall and the whole area have been barricaded. Lots of construction around Somerset MRT Station.
Regarding about the health minister, think he is not agreeable to the whole operation. I too hope the surgeon would not do it cause if it is not successful....sigh....it is history all over again. :(
I try to purchase shows that CAN be repaired by my cobbler-- many of today's shoes are too cheap to be repaired. There used to be cobblers every few blocks. Along with hand laundries. Now we have just a few cobbler shops and hand laundries left in our village.
Oh yes, I love these photos.
Hi Alice
My mum is looking for those cobblers u posted in Chinatown. Cud u tell me exactly where 'cos we walked from Chinatown Point to People's Park Complex but cud not find them? Thks so much. Sue ;)
Hi Susan,
The cobblers can be found between People's Park Complex and People's Park Food Centre (they are nearer to the food centre).
Thanks so much. ;)
Post a Comment