Beaver County school districts bowled over by bocce league

Teen fighting his way toward a better life

SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) — Dave Sherman and Max Paolillo are masters of a disappearing craft. At one time cobbler shops were standard in the lineup of Main Street storefronts in towns across the country, next to barbers, bakers and butchers. "Now I am the only one," Paolillo, owner of Max's Shoe Repair in Richland Township, said. He and Sherman, owner of The Cobbler's Shop in Somerset, usually talk a couple times a week to share stories and trade advice. Paolillo has been working in shoe repair since the 1960s. Sherman, a former tax professional from Pittsburgh, has been in business for about 11 years. Both men report a sound business, but culture, style and shoe quality contribute to fewer people who seek their service. Sherman had a steady flow of customers in his shop Jan. 14. An assortment of shoes — from high heels to loafers — crowded his work space. The smell of leather and oil filled the shop. His machines, mostly from the 1940s or earlier, are his trusted instruments. "I will never get rid of this machine," he said of a 1920s-era sewing machine. They are part of the history of a trade that has been needed since man first covered his feet. EVERYONE WEARS SHOES The customer base should be stable. But the industry, now a global enterprise filled with faux leather, plastic soles and factory-line production, doesn't always produce fixable footwear, according to the cobblers. "Everybody wears shoes. We do a lot of rips and tears and stuff like that," Paolillo said. "The percentage of repairable shoes keeps shrinking. They are not made as well." In January Sherman was working on a pair of leather loafers, the bottom of one worn nearly through. He had a new leather bottom cut to form, ready for stitching. The loafers are likely dear to the owner. Sherman became completely focused on the footwear as he described the process he was undertaking to make them whole again. He agrees with Paolillo about the state of modern shoemaking. "It's worse — the way they are made and the materials," he said. There are between 5,000 and 5,500 shoe repair shops in the United States, according to the Shoe Service Institute of America. About 240 shops are in Pennsylvania. Mitch Lebovic, institute administrator, said the economic benefits of shoe repair are predicated on people buying quality footwear. "A quality pair of men's shoes can be resoled seven to 10 times at a fraction of the cost of new shoes," he said in an email. "The materials most repair shops use are better than those on the original shoe." He touted the physical and aesthetic benefits of genuine leather footwear, noting that repairs can alleviate a variety of problems, including worn heels, blisters and corns. Lebovic said shoe repair was booming during World War II when there were about 75,000 shops in the country. He called it an important business that can still be profitable. The biggest challenge is finding people to carry on the tradition. "It is important for the industry as a whole to figure out a way to train the next generation of shoe repairers," he said. "It seems that a career in shoe repair is less and less appealing to young people. It has been on (the institute's) radar to reverse this trend; however, there has not been much large-scale success." DIFFERENT PATHS Paolillo's real name is James. Nobody calls him that. He goes by Max. He started cobbling when he was 12. He remembers when people only had three pairs of shoes — a time when everybody dressed up for work, he said. "The workplace has changed," he said. "It's more casual." Paolillo has been at his current location along Scalp Avenue for more than 20 years. "You got to like what you do," he said of his trade. "It's a craft. There is some self-satisfaction in your work." After decades of fixing shoes, Paolillo has learned the ins and outs of the business, including that it requires long hours. Sherman calls Paolillo with questions about certain jobs. Both men said no two repairs are exactly the same. Sherman's path to the job was different than Paolillo's, who started working at it as a boy. "He came to this late in life," Paolillo said of Sherman, the Pittsburgh tax professional turned Somerset County cobbler. Sherman graduated from Geneva College night school in 1984 with a business degree. He and his wife moved to Berlin in 2003. He bought the cobbler business, then based in Berlin, from Stan Scheller in 2004. A short time later he moved the operation to Somerset. "I think my wife was skeptical when I first bought this," he said. Scheller trained Sherman for about a year. Each man would take one shoe and work on it. Sherman learned how to run the old machines that are crucial to his trade. At first glance they look complicated to operate, with large wheels, gears, needles and thread. Watching the care Sherman puts into polishing a pair of boots confirms that this is indeed a craft. "If there is a shoe store, I don't care if it is a women's store, I will go in and look," he said of his habit to take stock of the latest trends, styles and quality on the market. Scheller said he was looking for a new career after experiencing some health problems. Cobbling turned out to be a perfect fit. He practiced the trade on the mountain for 18 years. "Shoe repair is a lost art," Scheller said. "Because we don't repair things (anymore), we throw them away." Scheller can quickly list former cobblers who worked in the area but are no longer in business. He was happy to meet Sherman in 2004 in part so he could pass his knowledge on to another craftsman. COBBLERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY Scheller said a cobbler can make a good business from fixing high heels. "Some women have 100 shoes," he said. "Whenever you hear them going down the street going 'click, click, click,' the rubber is worn off." But he said he noticed the quality of shoemaking declining before he retired, citing the variety of synthetic materials used today. He praised a good, genuine leather shoe. "There is nothing better than a warm pair of shoes," he said. Sherman and Paolillo have both branched out into fixing purses, bags and other items to attract customers. Paolillo also works in orthopedics, zippers and jackets. Sherman has worked on propeller covers and coffin bags. "If you do a little bit of everything, it sort of helps," Paolillo said. Both men acknowledged the power of the Internet, but neither use the technology as a crucial part of their business. Paolillo has a funny story about being "Googled." He said a customer from out of town found his name on the Internet. "He said, 'I Yelped you.' I said, 'What's that?'" "I Googled you, then on the way up I Yelped you," the customer responded. Yelp is a website that compiles reviews and other information about businesses. While the terminology surrounding customer acquisition has changed during the years, the recognition of quality remains. Appreciation for a good cobbler appears to be no exception. Sherman said he plans to always use the same machines that he bought from Scheller. They are consistent and reliable. "This will never be computerized," he said of the labor. All three cobblers cited the challenge of problem solving as a joy of the job. The people and the shoes they bring to be fixed all have a story. Some are weathered and worn, others have broken soles. "It's a dying art," Scheller said of cobbling. "At one time it was big." About his peers, Paolillo added, "We are watching them disappear." ___ YouTube: http://bit.ly/1n2FpKB Online: http://bit.ly/1Ui8Dm8 ___ Information from: Daily American, http://www.dailyamerican.com

21st century cobblers, modern stewards of an ancient trade