#1: Introducing me, the (soon-to-be) Modern Cobbler
What is this!? It's not spam, just keep reading.
Who am I and what is this?
Hello there! To start, if you are confused having received this newsletter without signing up, hello Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-Law, and friends, it’s me, Bri - this isn’t spam, just keep reading. If you did sign-up, I have absolutely no idea how you found me, but I am thrilled you are here! I’ll start this the same way they teach you essay writing in 5th grade: who, what, why, & how.
My name is Bri and I’m a 20-something year old lovingly from the Bay Area, California. I most recently lived in San Francisco, though I’m currently on a domestic adventure for the next few months to “find myself” (read: to visit friends). I spend a lot of time these days searching for my passion and purpose. What I haven’t found is my purpose, but what I have found is something that lights me up*: the dying art of shoe cobbling.*
If we’ve been in conversation together, you may have heard me preach about my concern for the livelihood of the shoe cobbling trade. If not, welcome and I hope you are just as passionate about or at least slightly intrigued by shoe cobbling.
I’ll start here: I started going to our local shoe cobbler, Sal, a few years ago as I accumulated nicer shoes in my adult life. He is as you might imagine: silver haired, relatively short, and a master of his craft. Anyways! I started to wonder what will happen when Sal retires - who will take over? Are shoe cobbler apprenticeships still a thing? What is the future of this industry!? I wonder if any of you share this fear, or if it will now consume your thoughts as it has mine. In summary, I am a girl with concern and a genuine interest in the artisan trade of shoe cobbling. I am on a mission to learn the art of shoe cobbling and am here to report on my journey.
I created this newsletter as a way to document my path to becoming a (disclaimer: self-proclaimed) shoe cobbler and spread the good news of shoe cobbling as it is something we simply don’t know enough about!
What is shoe cobbling?
Getting back to the root (perhaps, the soles?) of this newsletter, let’s refer back to our 5th grade essay writing lessons and start with the definition. Merriam Webster describes a shoe cobbler as “a mender or maker of shoes and often of other leather goods”. Its’ second and archaic definition, “a clumsy workman”, feels more resonant to how I will likely feel during most of this journey.
What will I be writing about
As a means to educate both myself and anyone who smashes the subscribe button on the artisan trade, shoe cobbling, I will be writing a weekly newsletter documenting a modern shoe cobbler’s journey (hence, the name). I hope to shine a light on this art form and do the dirty work so you don’t have to, in case shoe cobbling is also calling your name!
So far, here is my 3-pronged approach to success:
Researching (sexy, I know) the **process and history of shoemaking and shoe cobbling
Learning by doing: learning how to use tools, understanding shoe construction (shoemaking), learning and diving into shoe repair.
Gaining Industry insight: interviewing shoe cobblers, shoe makers, anyone who might be as excited about this project as I am.
My future newsletters will dig into each of these in a digestible manner that is hopefully fun & flirty - words not yet known to be associated with shoe cobbling.
Thank you for being here! I am always always open to new ideas and feedback (critiques with love, please) - we’re all learning! If this sounds so uninteresting to you, I hope you might enjoy watching me learn a new skill and feel inspired to do the same - how about welding?
See you in your inbox next Sunday for round 2!