Walter Johnson has been repairing shoes for nearly 70 years, but his future is uncertain
Walter Johnson has been repairing shoes for nearly 70 years — 22 years in Montgomery. But these days, the need for shoe repair is dwindling.
He’s been working out of his shop, The Shoe Center, in the Village East Shopping Center on Atlanta Highway since 2001. But the need for the skills he’s honed for decades isn’t what it used to be.
“Wasn’t no shoe repairmen when I got here, and there are still no shoe repair shops, and the ones that are here, they are trying to get out, too. There’s no market for a shoe repair shop,” he told WAKA 8.
That’s because people simply throw away their shoes when they are worn out.
Johnson says he’s willing to train someone to take his place, but he wants that person to be interested in buying his shop.
For now, he says connecting with customers has been the greatest reward.
“All walks of life walk through that door, and it’s up to you to make an effort to find out, what do you and him have in common with that shoe.”
