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treasurer.maricopa.gov Photo by Emily Boyle
More than 300 million pairs of shoes end up in one of our country’s landfills each year, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Companies such as Zappos accept slightly used shoes for free and donate them internationally.
Two Mesa Cobblers A Gnome’s Shoe Repair In Mesa By Emily Jex Boyle
D
id you know Americans throw away more than 300 million pairs of shoes every year, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior? When these shoes find themselves in the landfill, they sometimes take 30 to 40 years to decompose. Did you also know a cobbler isn’t just a pie, but someone who fixes shoes? Before you throw away your next pair of shoes, think again. Could they be repaired? Taking them to the repair shop might be less expensive than you think and add a few more miles to your shoes. At A Gnome’s Shoe Repair in
Mesa, owners Isaac and Nate are committed to offering a quality shoe repair service, prolonging the life of your shoes, and an eco-friendly way to reduce waste. Are the soles of your shoes worn down? Are your sandal straps broken? Don’t throw them in the dumpster, bring them to the cobblers! Isaac has been working in the shoe repair business nearly all his life, starting in his grandparents’ shop when he was twelve. When his family needed his help over the years, Isaac says, “I put my life on pause.” Later, he left the family business to study at Pima Medical Institute and feels his medical assistant training and experience helps
Photo by Emily Boyle
Owners of A Gnome’s Shoe Repair, Nate and Isaac, started their own business in East Mesa over a year ago.
him offer quality customer service. “It’s heart to heart, no matter how [customers] walk in,” Isaac says. One visit to the shop and you’ll see he is certainly the heart of the business. Nate learned all about shoe repair from Isaac’s family, watching and helping in their shop for years. A few years
ago, when his mom passed away, he realized he couldn’t lean on anyone. When he connected with a shoe repair in Globe looking to sell their finisher machine and a long-standing repair shop willing to allow him to take over their lease, Nate saw a
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