Just because many of us take pleasure in buying new shoes, it doesn’t mean that we’re ready to give up the worn-out ones. Many actually look for roadside cobblers to fix their shoes. These cobblers are masters of their craft, and they bring an extra personal touch to the job done. They stitch, glue and polish our damaged foot wear and make it good as new.
Honest money in one of the world’s oldest professions
BY ABIDGAIL MERTA GANGGANG
Each day, Lehe Sani carefully repairs his customers’ used or worn-out shoes.
The 58-year-old is a passionate cobbler and has been for three decades.
It all started in 1993, when he decided to learn to fix shoes with his friends and it then started to become a hobby.
Today, he operates at the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) Cobblers Kiosk, located under the Satok Flyover.
As early as 6am he will send his two children to school and the youngest to their grandmother’s house before he heads for his kiosk.
It may be one of the world’s oldest professions, but the cobbler in Leha is still going strong at it.
He has been mending shoes for generations of customers and has never had any intention to walk away from his passion.
Before he turned his hobby into a career, he used to be a porter because he did not gain support from his family.
“I could’ve been working as something else; being a cobbler seems like an old-fashioned profession, but I am truly passionate about helping others by giving them convenient footwear,” Lehe told New Sarawak Tribune.
When he plied his trade, his first station was the footpath near the India Street Pedestrian Mall with the other cobblers.
Most cobblers found it to be cost-effective there because they do not need to work out of a proper shop, so they sit on the footpath or on the street.
His charges are affordable and cover basic maintenance like replacing heels, soles, sewing and polishing.
One pair of shoes that need to be sewn and reattached only costs RM25; RM15 for slippers and sandals; and any footwear with broken straps can be fixed for only RM20.
“If customers come to replace their soles, especially leather shoes and boots, I will charge RM70-RM75 depending on the type of shoe,” he added.
Lehe said he is thankful that he can still make RM1,500 a month because his customer retention rate is good.
“My customers come from different backgrounds. Students, office workers, businesswomen, even VIPs come to fix their shoes,” he said.
He recalled mending the most expensive shoes he had ever received from his customers.
“Their (VIP) personal drivers will bring them to me and one of the most expensive shoes I ever repaired is a RM3,000 leather shoe,” he said.
He said his customers would rather fix them than get a new pair because they are already comfortable in them.
About five to seven pairs of footwear are sent to him every day, and repairs are usually done in less than half an hour if they are not too intricate.
On his regular days, he gets more customers compared to the fasting month.
But when the Hari Raya season gets closer, demand is higher than usual.
“Often, things can get busy in a short time, so I will fix the shoes at home so my customers can wear them the next day. It is not good to keep our customers waiting,” he said.
Having the skills to repair all kinds of footwear is not as easy as it sounds.
Lehe said the hardest shoes to repair are spikes, cleats, clip-ins, flat pedals, and boots that are used to play soccer, golf and cycling.
“Drilling is required before the shoes are sewn to make them stronger because they are used for extreme sports, especially cycling shoes,” he said.
‘Tali tangsi’ (catgut strings) are used to sew rugged sports shoes and nylon thread on the simple ones.
Strings and nylon are suitable for footwear because they are waterproof and stronger than cloth thread.
“Materials used are the same, but the diameter of thread used differs for both genders. Typically, six millimetre thread is for the ladies and nine millimetre thread is for the gents,” he explained.
Broken shoes will be glued back before they are sewn, so they will be long-lasting. Then, Lehe will buff the excess glue using paper sand and a brush.
Unfortunately, there are tonnes of unclaimed shoes from his previous customers.
He chose to keep the shoes before donating them to his relatives and friends.
“There is no intention to sell it. It feels uneasy, and there will be no blessing. I am willing to wait for my customers to take their precious shoes home. Maybe they forgot about the shoes, or they got transferred to other places,” he said.
Other than fixing shoes, he can also reattach and tweak bags like handbags and backpacks.
Lehe takes great pride in it and is grateful that it has enabled him to successfully raise three children aged between six and fifteen.
As a single father, he is still happy doing what he does, saying: “I’ve acquired this skill for a long time, and it comes as second nature to me as long as it is an honest living.”
