The Shoe Doctor

If you live in New York, chances are you have developed a relationship with the shoe repair man. I just dropped off three pairs of boots and deposited 60 dollars, with 40 due on receipt and I wondered, is it really worth it?

It's not unlike dropping your dog off at the vet. "You'll polish them up real good before I pick them up? These ARE beautiful boots, aren't they? I've put a lot of miles on these...". I know he doesn't really care, but he pretends, like a faithful bartender. "Yeah, I was playing with my band last weekend at this crazy Long Beach Irish Festival and the sole just fell off! I was flapping around like Donald Duck for like two hours. I had to wrap a used guitar string around it just to get home! You should have seen it..." The shoe repair man nods at the appropriate moments as he marks the wounds in my boots for surgery. I hand over the money and the thought does occur to me, guiltily, that I could probably find another slammin' pair of cowboy boots at Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg for $30.

In the end, though, it is better to fix up beloved boots that never go out of style than to fill landfills with slightly worn items and burn energy on production of new products. Sometimes, it's worth it.

And me and the Shoe Guy, we got a thing goin' on.