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SIC 7251 Shoe Repair Shops and Shoeshine Parlors

SIC 7251
SHOE REPAIR SHOPS AND SHOESHINE PARLORS

This category covers establishments primarily engaged in repairing footwear or shining shoes. Also included are establishments engaged in cleaning and blocking hats.

NAICS Code(s)

811430 (Footwear and Leather Goods Repair)

Industry Snapshot

Shoe repair and shoe shining is a small industry that provides a moderate living for the craftsperson/entrepreneur. The shoe repairman has survived for many years in a constantly changing marketplace, but is struggling to find ways to maintain a profitable business in the modern era. Those business owners who have been able to adapt to the changes in the industry brought on by improved technology, manufacturers' emphasis on disposable goods, and changing consumer expectations have survived. Those who have not adapted or who have maintained old methods of business operation have slowly vanished. Many shoe repair and shoe shining establishments are small retail stores usually owned and/or operated by a craftsperson who, with the help of skilled employees, performs services for a certain rate. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures indicated that shoe repair workers held approximately one-half of the approximately 21,000 jobs in the leather goods industry at the end of the twentieth century, although increasingly, traditional services offered by the industry have been combined with other modern amenities. Additionally, some shoe repair companies are part of a larger franchise, and shoe repair shops appeared with greater frequency in retail malls and in shopping centers — locations deemed essential to the survival of the industry. Among the largest establishments in operation at the turn of the twenty-first century, Shoe Doctor Incorporated of Dover, New Hampshire, had sales as high as $7 million during the previous decade and employed approximately 100 workers.

Background and Development

The business of repairing shoes has been in existence as long as the shoe itself. Until advancements made in the twentieth century, shoes were expensive and difficult to manufacture, most times taking the shoemaker the better part of a day to create one pair. Therefore, it made economic sense to have shoes repaired when necessary, rather than purchase new ones.

The evolution of the shoe repairman can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with craftsmen called cobblers. Cobblers bought old, worn shoes, repaired them, and resold them. Eventually cobblers stopped selling repaired shoes and concentrated entirely on repair as a business. Meanwhile, many shoemakers stopped repairing shoes and concentrated exclusively on manufacturing.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the Industrial Revolution in the United States put an emphasis on manufacturing. Shoe styles changed quickly, and the consumer, in an effort to remain fashionable, began to ignore the benefits of shoe repair. But other circumstances began to harm the shoe repair industry as well. According to the journal Shoe Service, widespread economic hardships led to do-it-yourself repairs that became prevalent in the 1930s. Also, many unskilled shoe repairmen would fix and sell shoes at lower prices to retailers outside of the industry. Dissatisfaction with the level of craftsmanship was also cited as a reason for the industry's difficulties.

World War II had a significant effect on the shoe industry. Manufacturers and repairers found raw materials increasingly harder to come by, and the government urged the public to take better care of their shoes. After World War II, industrial advances made shoes cheaper. As shoes wore out, it was easier for the consumer to buy a new pair than to have an old pair repaired. Manufacturers were also increasingly using nonrepairable materials such as rubber and plastic in their products. The introduction of these innovations has continually challenged the shoe repair industry.

The number of shoe repair shops plummeted by 40 percent in the 1960s. Since that time the shoe repair industry has constantly tried to find ways to combat the effects of mass shoe production, nonrepairable materials, and ever-changing fashion trends. Overall the industry experienced a continued slow decline for several decades leading into the twenty-first century. The number of establishments decreased by approximately 16 percent, and the number of employees dropped about 11 percent during the 1990s alone.

Current Conditions

In the 1990s, with the average payroll per establishment at $26,811 and average revenue per establishment at approximately $102,000, many shoe repair shops and shoeshine parlors remained very small, employing an average of just two people. BLS reported minimum wage conditions for new workers in the late 1990s, along with projected declining employment for the industry through the year 2006. The consensus among experienced industry members was that the key elements to the survival and growth of the industry included the ability to guarantee quality and convenience (the speed with which repairs are made). Shoemakers, when queried about conditions at the turn of the twenty-first century, concurred that the evolution of shoe styles throughout the final decades of the twentieth century resulted in designs that were effectively irreparable, because of a molded all-in-one structure that precluded heel or sole replacement. One craftsman in Grand Prairie, Texas, who was quoted in Arlington Morning News, suggested that by the year 2000 approximately 75 percent of new shoes were of the molded design. Another shoemaker in Colorado made similar comments and added that the high cost of service proved a further deterrent to repairs, in that replacement often provided the more cost-effective solution.

In the midst of diminished demand for shoe repair, one promising technology for insole replacement emerged late in 1999. The method employs a computerized fitting system, which utilizes a computerized scanner to record sole measurements, including pressure points where the footstep makes the heaviest contact with the ground. The technology enabled shoe repair personnel to fit custom insoles easily through the use of the digital measuring system, at a cost of under $50 per pair. The ability of some shoemakers to adapt to such new techniques lies at the basis of the continued existence of this industry. Other factors for survival involve combining shoe repair service with other services and products, relocating shops into high-traffic areas such as retail mall outlets, and changing the consumer's traditional notions of the shoe repair store by means of aggressive advertising.

Further Reading

Darnay, Arsen J. Service Industries USA. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 1999.

Flores, John W. "Heart and Sole: Family Keeps Old-fashioned Shoe Repair Craft Alive." Arlington (Texas) Morning News, 20 February 2000, 5A.

Jackson, Bob. "Shoe Shop Grew from Ground up." Denver Rocky Mountain News, 16 January 2000, 60A.

Liddane, Lisa. "Computer Crafts Foot Fixer-uppers." Dallas Morning News, 20 December 1999, 7C.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 26 February 1999. Available from http://stats.bls.gov/.

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	Fast foot service: Heel Quick! shoe repair puts its best financial foot forward. (Marvin Staten buys a franchise) Magazine article from: Black Enterprise; 4/1/1996; ; 467 words ; ...better. Staten is the owner of a Heel Sew Quik! shoe repair franchise in Greenville, N.C. Prior to opening...knowledge about machinery, he thought that a shoe repair franchise would suit him. Besides, Marietta...to 6% royalty fee. The total investment for a shoe repair franchise can ... Read more
	For shoe repair, Jim's has more sole.(Reviews)(More and more people are treating footwear like facial tissue, but not at Jim the Shoe Doctor) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 3/23/2007; 416 words ; ...out for us when we set out to find the best local shoe repair shop. When we went to visit one well-worn favorite - Campus Shoe Repair - it was no longer operating. So we tried another...hobble our shop-until-you-drop agenda. But Sole Savers Shoe Repair at Valley River Center likewise ... Read more
	European Cobbler. (Business Services) Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 10/21/1991; 11 words ; European Cobbler 8750 Genesee Ave., Suite 25, San Diego 92122, shoe repair Read more
	Affordable feet; Faltering economy bringing new business to old-time cobbler shops.(LOCAL NEWS) Newspaper article from: Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA); 1/2/2009; 700+ words ; ...Stanton In an economy down at its heels, shoe repair is up on its toes. Westboro cobbler...March 1991.) Mr. Horne's shop, Arcade Shoe Repair at 3 West Main St., has been at the...group based in North Brookfield, the shoe repair industry keeps about 62 million pairs... Read more
	OLD SHOE SHOP STILL ON ITS FEET.(Business)(Expanding its space and adding to its clothing line keeps Baker's going strong) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 1/12/2006; 621 words ; ...began way-back-when as Perky's Shoe Repair, a business with a future in those...frugality and fine leather footwear. Shoe sales became a big part of the...kind of brought that old world (shoe repair) trade into the new millennium...the most recent analysis of the shoe repair ... Read more
	R.N.H. Enterprises Inc. (Relocations and Expansions) Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 11/4/1991; 17 words ; R.N.H. Enterprises Inc. is opening a 1,190-square-foot shoe repair shop in the Point Loma Plaza Shopping Center. Read more
	Old school collides with new economy.(Letter to the editor) Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 4/3/2006; ; 290 words ; ...shoes. Letting my fingers do the walking, I called the two shoe repair stores listed on Mira Mesa Boulevard. They have both closed...It did: I'm going to take my shoes to one of the remaining shoe repair businesses. Sincerely believing I'm doing the right thing... Read more
	FATHER AND SON SAVE SOLES.(Features) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 10/22/2003; 700+ words ; ...heel-in-hand, for the gentle touch of Athena Shoe Repair. Cher, Wayne Newton, Naomi and Wynona...family business, learning the craft of shoe repair from his father, and the nuances of...liked the area and there wasn't another shoe repair shop in town. He keeps the old machines... Read more
	For 45 years, emphasis on quality kept feet beating to cobbler's door.(Obituaries)(The Eugene craftsman, who died this week at age 85, is remembered for his humility) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 2/15/2008; 700+ words ; ...for 63 years, lived in one house for 60 years, fell into the shoe repair business when his father-in-law suddenly died - and worked with an attitude of perfection at Miller's Shoe Repair for 45 years. He was a World War II veteran. He had an upright... Read more
	Former social worker finds comfortable fit. (Weekly Briefing).(James Moore talks about shoes and shoe repair at Smooth Black Enterprises)(Interview) Magazine article from: Los Angeles Business Journal; 7/14/2003; ; 363 words ; ...how it felt when his favorite sneakers, so comfy they felt like extensions of his feet, finally fell apart. His Los Angeles shoe repair company, Smooth Black Enterprises, specializes in sneakers. After setting up shop in 1999, he realized he had so many sneaker... Read more

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