Podcast Summary: The Economics of Everyday Things

Episode 116: Cobblers

Host: Zachary Crockett | Guest: Jim McFarland (McFarland’s Shoe Repair, Lakeland, Florida)
Original Air Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the fading yet fascinating world of cobblers—craftsmen who repair shoes. Host Zachary Crockett explores the economic forces behind the trade’s decline and the paradoxical boom experienced by the few skilled specialists who remain. The heart of the story comes from Jim McFarland, a fourth-generation cobbler renowned in high-end shoe circles, who shares insights into the trade, his unique craftsmanship, evolving business strategies, and why he believes well-cared-for shoes reveal so much about their owners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Life and Art of a Cobbler

• Family Legacy: Jim McFarland is a fourth-generation shoe repairman, inheriting the business from his father and previous generations.
  • “My grandfather used to take my dad to the shop ... he would take a shoe cobbler nail and hammer his diaper to the floor so he couldn’t go anywhere.” — Jim McFarland (03:37)
• Early Immersion: Grew up in the shop, “teethed on leather” as a child, and by age 15 could do most repairs through observation and practice.
  • “It’s kind of like speaking your native language.” — Jim McFarland (03:59)

2. Changing Economics of Shoe Repair

• Industry Decline
  • In the Great Depression: ~120,000 repair shops.
  • By 2025: About 3,200 remain (06:24).
  • Causes include smaller families, fewer apprentices, and children seeking other careers.
  • Quote: “Nobody has really picked up the hammer and learned the trade ... time itself has kind of fizzled it down to low numbers.” — Jim (06:50)
• Boom for the Few
  • Fewer cobblers means increased business for those left, with shops handling large volumes: “If you only had 10 million Americans buying quality shoes, that’s a lot of shoes. For 3,200 shops left in the country.” — Jim (08:32)
  • Holiday rushes can see 600-800 pairs in the shop (08:48).

3. The Value of Shoe Repair

• High-End vs. Fast Fashion

  • “When you’re spending $500 to $1,000 or more and you get them recrafted for 25, 30% of what you paid ... that’s worth it.” — Jim (07:48)
  • Fast fashion, synthetics, and cheap throwaway shoes are hard or impossible to repair.
  • Sentimental value is sometimes the deciding factor for repairing lower-end shoes.

• Range of Services

  • Shoe stretching (“for comfort, not for size”)
  • Shoe shining and refinishing
  • New soles/heels, especially for high-end brands (15:25)
  • Dog and pet damage (“dog chews are the worst”—only a 5% success rate) (15:31)
  • Occasional luggage, handbag, and belt repairs (but often not profitable).
    • “If you can’t wear it on your feet, then we’re not repairing it.” — Jim quoting a friend (14:14)

• Recrafting: The Most Intensive Service

  • “There’s well over a hundred steps ... cutting the sole off, sanding, putting new cork in, picking the stitches ... I could just keep going on and on the list.” — Jim (16:03)
  • Differentiates between cobblers (repair) and shoemakers (creation): “If you call a shoemaker shoe cobbler, he might hit you with his hammer.” — Jim (16:48)

4. Economics & Evolving Business Strategy

• Profit Margins
  • Full recrafts cost $125–$300, but shoeshines ($18) are far quicker and more profitable on an hourly basis:
    • “If we did a million shoeshines a year and nothing else, I would be a happy, happy man.” — Jim (17:36)
• Adapting the Business
  • Shifted focus to high-volume, quicker jobs like shoe shines and reconditioning, which led to a 15–20% jump in net profit (18:11).

5. Traditions, Techniques, and Challenges

• Old Machines & Tools
  • The shop houses century-old tools and specific shoe repair equipment; only a handful of people left in the U.S. can repair them (05:43).
• No Standardization
  • Repair techniques vary greatly—“because everybody was trained by their family ... that’s the way they did it for 100 years.” (19:14)
• Passing the Trade On
  • Jim is teaching his nephew, but wonders if the family tradition will continue:
    • “He definitely has another two years or so to go ... but he can clean and shine a pair of shoes better than I can.” (20:49)
  • Concern over the trade’s survival: “So many people have forgotten about trades ... It’s all blue sky. I mean, especially in my field.” — Jim (20:30)

6. Cobblers in the Digital Age

• Social Media Outreach
  • With nearly 3 million followers as “America’s Cobbler” on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, Jim and his kids share repair processes, sparking a new appreciation for the trade.
  • “You wouldn’t believe how many people email me and say how therapeutic it is and they put their kids to sleep with it.” (20:09)

7. The Cultural Meaning of Shoes

• Jim's humorous “judging by shoes” philosophy:
  • “You can tell if they keep a tidy house or not. If their shoe comes in and it is beat up bad, I’m thinking to myself, I don’t want to go to their house.” (01:32)
  • “Nothing looks worse than a nice looking person in a nice looking suit with a cheap pair of shoes. It’s like having a beautiful wedding cake and someone just goes and sticks their whole hand in it.” (21:41)
  • “A good haircut and a nice pair of shoes, you can go anywhere.” — Jim quoting his grandfather (21:41)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “Did you ever see the movie 300? ... That’s what it feels like being a shoe cobbler these days. The number of shoes coming at us is overwhelming. I’ve never seen a bigger demand in my life.” — Jim McFarland (02:54)
• On unwanted repairs: “Don’t bring me a pair of shoes that the cat completely ruined instead of using the litter box. I don’t want to smell it. I’m not going to do it.” — Jim (09:48)
• “Some of them are insane ... I can take the shoe, put it up to my eye, and you can look through the shoe and see my face.” — Jim (16:30)
• Dirty/odorous shoes: “One time a guy brought some type of sneaker he wanted cleaned. We like triple bagged them and we could still smell them ... We can’t work on them.” — Jim (22:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:16 — Jim McFarland introduces himself; shoe insights and anecdotes.
• 03:13–04:40 — The legacy of McFarland’s family business and personal stories.
• 06:06–07:23 — Industry’s historic decline and reasons for fewer cobblers.
• 07:48–08:43 — The economics of high-end shoe repair vs. fast fashion; volume of work.
• 09:35–09:59 — Mail-in businesses and customer types; why some shoes are refused.
• 14:14–14:42 — Repair requests for non-shoe items and why cobblers resist them.
• 15:25–15:41 — Dog chewed shoes—a cobbler’s nightmare.
• 16:03–16:45 — The process and challenges of a full recraft.
• 17:36–18:11 — Business adaptation; choosing faster, profitable jobs.
• 19:14–19:46 — Differences in cobbler techniques across families and regions.
• 20:09–20:24 — Social media’s unexpected impact and next-generation learning.
• 20:47–21:09 — Teaching the next generation; hopes for his nephew.
• 21:34–21:41 — Judging people by their shoes and “wedding cake” metaphor.
• 22:27 — Handling the worst-smelling shoes.

Conclusion

Through Jim McFarland’s eyes, listeners get an intimate look at an aging trade—its challenges, quirks, and deep-seated values. While the number of cobblers has dramatically declined, those who remain have carved out dynamic, modern businesses and found a surprising digital fanbase. Whether it’s stubborn dog damage or a full restoration of vintage leather, the skills and stories of cobblers like McFarland underscore how even mundane objects—shoes—can tell compelling stories about history, economics, and human character.