Business is booming for Guelph, Ont. cobbler despite 'dying' art

Cobbling may be a dying art, but one cobbler from Guelph, Ont. is helping keep it alive.

Business at Dimar Shoe Repair is booming, according to owner and cobbler Pablo Hadarits.

“We had to close for July to pretty much clear our backlog and just kind of breathe and reorganize the shop,” he said.

Hadarits took over from his father when he retired in 2020 and kept the business going, despite some people seeing cobbling as a career of the past.

“You can’t go to the bar or grab a beer and expect to talk to another cobbler sitting down next to you and share work stories,” he said.

But Hadarits still sees opportunity.

“I was very uncertain of where the industry would be going maybe 10 years ago. But I feel like with social media, I get a lot of emails from people asking how they can apprentice or get into the industry,” he explained.

Submitted: Pablo Hadarits

Hadarits admits fast fashion, or ‘throwaway society’ as he calls it, was a personal fear.

He has, however, seen a shift.

“I think young people are kind of getting sick and tired of buying very low quality products that don’t last and then go to the landfill. Because a pair of shoes can take up to 30 years of more to decompose in a landfill,” he said.

Hadarits puts no limits on the kind of footwear he’ll repair – everything from cheap sandals to expensive leather dress shoes. Handbags, jackets, belts and sports equipment can also be restored.

Submitted: Pablo Hadarits

But shoes are where his heart lies, especially when someone asks him to fix up an item from a family member who passed away.

“There’s the whole sentimental side of repair where it’s going to maybe cost more than what the item was brand new. But that’s not the purpose behind it.”

Earlier this month, Hadarits showcased his talents at the inaugural Pimp that Shoe competition hosted by the Shoe Service Institute of America. The creative competition sees cobblers show off their creativity through repair.

Cobbler Pablo Hadarits on July 26, 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

His work earned a third place award among some of the top cobblers in North America.

Hadarits sees it as not only a career, but a craft – one that sometimes means losing money in order to do a job properly. However, he tries to limit those jobs.

“But it is very much a labour of love,” he said, exemplifying his efforts to always put his best foot forward.