The Landis sole stitcher. Paul Goldfinger photograph. January 2020. © Click to enlarge
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, Fla. Blogfinger.net
José Santiago is an Italian-trained cobbler from Ft. Myers, Florida.
He bought this old Landis “stitcher” years ago, and it still functions. The Landis Shoe Repair Machinery Company, St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1895 and supplies shoe repair equipment all over the world. His machine was manufactured in the 1930’s.
Some countries do not have the disposable culture that we have, but in Southwest Florida, José has plenty of work. His specialty is orthopedic footwear.
He calls himself a “cobbler,” but his small shop offers a different message, writ large on a sign out front, “SHOE REPAIR.”
KEVIN KLINE with a Cole Porter song from the movie De-Lovely. Do you suppose she’s so easy to love….because of her shoes?