Why the cobbler trade has declined

Shoe repair shops are a dying breed — but for those that remain, demand is higher than ever. Zachary Crockett goes in for a shine.

• SOURCES:
  • Jim McFarland, owner of McFarland’s Shoe Repair in Lakeland, Florida.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Shoe cobbler becomes unlikely TikTok star," (NBC News, 2024).
  • "Cobblers face extinction - and are busier than ever," by Diana Nelson James (AP, 2019).
  • Shoe Service Institute of America.

• EXTRAS:
  • America's Cobbler (Jim McFarland), (YouTube).

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