The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a 43% increase in online sales, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a sign of the ever-growing overconsumption issue in the U.S. and around the world. And as people are buying more and more clothes from fast-fashion retailers, a valuable profession is falling by the wayside.
What's happening?
Cobblers are a dying breed in America, according to Jim McFarland, a fourth-generation cobbler and historian on the board of the Shoe Service Institute of America, who's also known as America's Cobbler.
He told The Huffington Post the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns "devastated the business" and shared that the number of shoe repair shops nationwide has dropped below 3,500, from a pre-Great Depression height of 120,000.
McFarland further explained that the "Amazon culture" of next-day delivery of cheap goods has fueled a desire for instant gratification, whereas the work of a cobbler can take time.
The lower quality of materials from fast-fashion brands also makes repairing a shoe difficult. "Cheap shoes are hard to fix. Invest in quality. Quality takes time," he told the outlet.
Why are cobblers important?
Seeking out a cobbler to repair shoes is a more sustainable approach to fashion and consumption, but as fewer and fewer people are working in the trade, doing so can be next to impossible.
Repairing shoes, specifically shoes made of quality materials, helps them last longer, saving you money in the long run and preventing them from ending up in landfills. Cheap shoes from fast-fashion brands are often made from materials like plastic, which is hard to repair and doesn't break down when tossed in a landfill after a short shelf life. "Man-made materials do not breathe. Leather breathes. You throw these man-made shoes into the landfill, in 100 years, they'll still be there," McFarland said.
According to Circular Online, 23 billion pairs of shoes are produced every year, with 22 billion being thrown away, and only 5% being recycled.
McFarland added, "Vegan leather is just a marketing game: It's just vinyl. When they get thrown away, they don't degrade. Real leather does. It will disintegrate into nothing. They're healthier for feet; they stretch and move with your feet."
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Absolutely 🗑️ What's being done about bringing back cobblers?
Being a cobbler used to come with health hazards from dyes and other hazardous materials, but McFarland said that upgraded EPA regulations have made the profession safer, and hopefully more appealing to the next generations.
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"There's not that many cobblers in their 30s and 40s. For the young people who want to learn it, find a shop that's owned by someone 60 or older; most shoe cobblers don't have an exit plan; they work up until their last day of life," McFarland told the Huffington Post.
The biggest thing to do is to seek out a cobbler and hire them to repair your shoes, making them last longer before you buy a new pair. And when you do buy a new pair, seek out sustainably made options, ideally from natural or recyclable materials, or try secondhand options.
As McFarland said, "If somebody wants to buy a good shoe, buy a vintage shoe. More than half my shoes I bought off eBay, and they're vintage. They're lifetime shoes. If you take care of them, you'll have them your whole life."
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