In October 2006 savvymom.ca visited us and filed this report: Down At Heel
Transit Strike
"Shoe leather express still running during transit strike."
April 3, 2001 The Shoe Leather Express runs every 15 minutes
Day one of the Transit strike and sales are already up at Vancouver's Quick Cobbler. "We figured it would be dead around here," says Ronald Nijdam, a third generation cobbler and owner of the shoe repair shop on Denman. "We even had a promotion ready to go where customers get 10% off soles, heels, footbeds and socks if they show us a bus pass." "But then we had a pretty big rush on Monday after work," he said. Those affected by the strike and who are hoofing it around town soon realized they needed more than a sunny day to get around. "Oh, yeah," says Nijdam, who regularly takes the Seabus to work from North Vancouver, Thorlos socks are going and so are footbeds. We also had a surge in TOPY protection soles and a lot of interest in our Birkenstock selection. If Monday was any indication, sales of soles and heels will also likely increase if the strike wears on. Even if there is a surge in business, Nijdam says he'll keep the bus pass promo going anyway because "we think it's important that people look after their feet, especially when they're walking more."
August 8, 2000 Vancouver Cobblers open up another can of Canadian whoopass in "Vegas"
Of the over 8,500 shoe repair shops in North America, Vancouver's Quick Cobbler got the nod again this year as North American "Retailer of the Year" picking up a total of 11 (out of a possible 18) awards for shoe repair and marketing. Just as there are the Culinary Olympics, cobblers have their own Olympics organized by their industry association - the Shoe Service Institute of America (SSIA). This year marked the 53rd annual competition put on by the 90+ year-old association. In addition to "Retailer of the Year"Quick Cobbler walked away with the Canadian Blue Ribbon for Mens and Ladies Half Soles, Silver- Casual Shoes, Bronze - Casual Shoes, Gold - Merchandising, Gold - Promotions, Gold - Web Site, Gold - Direct Mail, Gold - Newsletter/Brochure, Silver - Public Relations and Silver - Print Advertising.
"People have this image of shoe repair as being some old guy in a dark little shop, fixing a few pair of shoes a day." says Ronald Nijdam, a third-generation cobbler and owner. "We've been busting our hinies to break out of that stereotype, through our marketing and merchandising, and we're pleased to say it's working."
This four-person West End shop does more than a few pairs a day. Their expertise has made them an authorized repair centre for many manufacturers including Tubbs Snowshoes, La Sportiva and Five Ten rock climbing shoes and Birkenstock. They do work for many film productions here in Vancouver. Their "if it fits on your foot, we can fix it" attitude has work coming in from New Brunswick to Hollywood California. "We've had a few close calls with that slogan." recalls Nijdam, 43. "We had a guy dump a pair of tree climbing spikes on the counter recently and he quoted that line. I'm from Holland. I'd never seen a pair before but they definitely did fit on his feet so we figured it out. Quick."
Please visit www.quickcobbler.com for more information on everything you ever wanted to know about shoe repair but were afraid to ask.
Don't Tell These Guys
Don't Tell These Guys Shoe Repair is a Dying Industry. They're too busy re-defining it.
Last weekend, on the Las Vegas strip, the Quick Cobbler of Vancouver took the defibrillators to the shoe repair industry.
They picked up six awards in the Shoe Service Institute of America's 36th annual "Silver Cup" competition with categories for shoe repair (which is a little misleading, as the focus for a cobbler is to restore the footwear to new condition or better) as well as retail/marketing categories.
Aside from winning "Retailer of the Year" for North America, Owner Ronald Nijdam (Ni-dam) and his manager Ian Jackson also won gold in the merchandising, direct mail and promotions categories. "When it comes to leather and rubber, we dominate" was one of their popular entries.
Nijdam also took bronze in the men's half sole category (for shoe repair categories, one old pair of shoes is entered - one in lousy shape and its mate is repaired and restored to the point where it could almost be sold for new) and Jackson took gold in the men's casual shoe category (the student has become the master?).
"It's really gratifying to see members of our staff winning these awards using the techniques handed down from my grandfather in Holland to my father, then to me and now to them," says Nijdam, a third-generation cobbler.
Nijdam and Jackson signify a new generation of craftspeople and a new breed of cobblers. They'll set you straight pretty quick if you suggest theirs is a twilight industry. "What we're seeing is all the quick-buck turn-key shoe repair outfits of the mid eighties and early nineties finally petering out," says Jackson, who just five years ago could only tie shoelaces.
"This is just like any other business. You've got to sweat and learn and go big or go home," adds Nijdam. And go big they have. The Denman street shop feels more like an upscale coffee bar than what we all remember cobbler shops to be - dimly lit and with that smell of rubber, leather and glues.
Starting later this week, if you'd like to know more about the Quick Cobbler, hit the media centre on their website, quickcobbler.com. It will have more detail and photographs suitable for download. Until then you can do things the old fashioned way and stop by the shop at 430 West 2nd Ave (@ Yukon street) or call Ronald at (604) 682-6354.
Leather & Rubber
"When it comes to leather and rubber, these guys dominate."
When it comes to leather and rubber, these guys dominate. That, at least, is what the sign in window says. A decidedly modern introduction to a decidedly old-world business "They're still worth doing, right?" "If they're comfortable to you, the rest of the boot is okay". Ronald Nijdam doesn't often tell people their shoes aren't worth repairing. He'd put himself out of business if he did, and besides...this is what he does. He's good at it, and he loves it. Ronald Nijdam/Quick Cobbler: "Everybody has fun at what they do, and if you have fun and if your customers expect the best, you perform the best". You could say it's in his blood. He helped his cobbler grandfather as a boy growing up in the Netherlands. He worked for his cobbler father as a young man. And today Ronald Nijdam, cobbler, runs a business that is a curious mixture of ultra modern and old fashioned. Take the antique, and very useful, sewing machine. Ian Jackson/Quick Cobbler "Nothing's really changed in over 60 years. They may change the look of it, but truly it still has to do the same thing. It still has to do a stitch. And if you've got something that works, you stick with it". The store was recently voted Best Retailer in North America at the Shoe Industry's annual Silver Cup competition. And yes, we were surprised there was such a thing as well, particularly in a business that Ronald himself admits is increasingly an old man's game. Nijdam: "I don't know why there's no new blood. Maybe it's because there's not a school anymore for shoe repair, maybe it's because the young guys you know, it's not cool to tell your girlfriend that you're in shoe repair, you know" It might be more cool to tell her the business earns half a million dollars a year in revenues, which Quick Cobbler does. Ronald and his two assistants--he trained them himself--say they'll be here as long as people have shoes that need fixing...a business that embraces the future, while saluting the past. Colin Gray, CTV News, Vancouver
Day one of the Transit strike and sales are already up at Vancouver's Quick Cobbler. "We figured it would be dead around here," says Ronald Nijdam, a third generation cobbler and owner of the shoe repair shop on Denman. "We even had a promotion ready to go where customers get 10% off soles, heels, footbeds and socks if they show us a bus pass." "But then we had a pretty big rush on Monday after work," he said. Those affected by the strike and who are hoofing it around town soon realized they needed more than a sunny day to get around. "Oh, yeah," says Nijdam, who regularly takes the Seabus to work from North Vancouver, Thorlos socks are going and so are footbeds. We also had a surge in TOPY protection soles and a lot of interest in our Birkenstock selection. If Monday was any indication, sales of soles and heels will also likely increase if the strike wears on. Even if there is a surge in business, Nijdam says he'll keep the bus pass promo going anyway because "we think it's important that people look after their feet, especially when they're walking more."
Of the over 8,500 shoe repair shops in North America, Vancouver's Quick Cobbler got the nod again this year as North American "Retailer of the Year" picking up a total of 11 (out of a possible 18) awards for shoe repair and marketing. Just as there are the Culinary Olympics, cobblers have their own Olympics organized by their industry association - the Shoe Service Institute of America (SSIA). This year marked the 53rd annual competition put on by the 90+ year-old association. In addition to "Retailer of the Year"
Last weekend, on the Las Vegas strip, the Quick Cobbler of Vancouver took the defibrillators to the shoe repair industry.
