LAKELAND, Fla. — Jim McFarland has been a shoe cobbler for more than four decades, taking shoes and recrafting them back to their original factory conditions.
“The goal at the end is to make the customer happy. That’s all I really care about,” said McFarland.
The fourth-generation shoe cobbler said the family business has been around since the 1900s.
“My grandfather opened his first shop in 1918. He learned from his uncle, who opened up around 1900. My dad took it over when he came back from Korea so mid to late 50s. Then I took it over.”
McFarland did not always want to follow in his father’s footsteps. “It was a tough job for a lot of years for my family. It takes a lot of shoes to pay the bills,” he said.
He left college and returned to McFarland's Shoe Repair in Lakeland when his family needed him most.
“My dad got sick and needed my help. I dropped my classes; came back and here I am 42 years later,” said McFarland.
The Shoe Service Institute of America reports that shoe repair shops have dwindled from 100,000 in the 1930s to about 3,000 today.
McFarland is shedding light on the dying industry. His videos have garnered more than a million followers on TikTok with the help of his daughter Victoria.
“Her first video, it got over 2 million views. I was laughing, I thought it was hilarious because I didn’t think anybody would be interested in it,” said McFarland.
America’s Cobbler is racking up countless comments.
“Some of the most common comments we receive is how satisfying it is to watch and how do you get in to learn the trade,” said Victoria McFarland.
Customers send in shoes from every corner of the country, and they are so thankful for the care this craftsman puts in every pair.
“A lady came in not too long ago and she’s battling cancer so she’s having a tough time. I think it was their 30th wedding anniversary and the boots, her husband wore them when they got married. So, she wanted to get them cleaned up so they could go out for their 30th anniversary,” said McFarland. “That was great story because she stopped back in and let me know they had a great time.”
That’s what it’s all about for America's Cobbler... being able to replace torn soles with smiles.
“Give them a great product and good service. I don't really think about the videos and the viral too much, but it’s fun, it’s fun,” said McFarland.
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