In the latest episode of The Flip N' Shift Podcast, my guest is Jim McFarland.

Jim McFarland is an award winning shoe repair and leather repair service craftsman that has been serving customers in Florida since 1967. Jim’s shoe repair craftsmanship has received awards at the highest levels in Europe and the US. Jim received two gold medals in the Inter Schuh Service International trade show and competition in Germany.

His latest award in June of 2023 was a competition where 46 master craftsmen from 16 countries participated in the competition and McFarland was the only award winner from the US. Jim’s following on social media is over a million followers and his reels have attracted hundreds of millions of viewers and received praise from famous celebrities.

We are discussing what is considered not only one of the oldest recycling industries in the world but one of the world’s oldest crafts, shoe cobbling. In recent publications such as The Industry Fashion, they predict a market growth of 5x its current market value which is estimated to be $77 Billion Dollars by 2025 with the resale of high end clothing, shoes and accessory pieces. The value is placed on the condition of the pieces.

Many will spend what is needed to restore to almost like new condition, However, due to a massive decline in trades such as seamstress, shoe cobblers and restorative jewelers most will need to seek repair and restoration out of state or even outside of the country. So, we are chatting with Jim McFarland on his remarkable journey into a successful generational shoe repair business and the challenges he is facing in a demanding field with supply chain issues and less cobblers available to service larger populated regions.

Website: https://mcfarlandsshoerepair.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.mcfarland.31

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americascobbler/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@americascobbler

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