New Bedford cobbler Scott Amorin is the last of his kind, marking 45 years in business

Cobbler Scott Amorin has enjoyed a little peace of heaven in the same location his family business has been in for more than 85 years.

His grandfather, John Andrade, who he refers to by the Portuguese name for grandfather, opened New York Shoe Repair at 50 Dartmouth St. in 1939.

Scott and his family lived upstairs as children. After school when he was 7, he would sweep the floor, put out the garbage and other chores for a penny, then go down the street to the corner to get five pieces of candy.

One day, he asked his grandfather for a nickel to buy an apple, and was told he was at the age when he could start working.

“I said, 'I’m only 7 years old, what can I do?'” His grandfather said he could sweep the floor, put out the garbage, stock the shelves and earn 25 cents a day. He ran upstairs to tell his mother, Priscilla, that he was going to be rich.

By the time he was 12, he would pull heels, and by the time he was 14, he was working with soles and heels.

“After I finished college, I decided that I wanted to go back and take over the shop,” he said. “I’d been here already almost 10 years as a child working, so it was an opportunity to work with my grandfather as long as possible.”

He worked for him for five years, as long as possible, until his grandfather took him to see a lawyer and told him he was buying the business.

“I said, 'I didn’t know it was for sale,'” Amorin said. “We signed papers, and end of story.”

That was in 1985, and his grandfather worked for him for five years until he died in 1992.

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New Bedford cobbler is marking 45 years in the trade

Amorin said it was a blessing in disguise. Working with his grandfather taught him a skill that he wasn’t going to pick up in a book, and at the time there weren’t many places where shoe repair was being taught. He didn’t want to leave Massachusetts.

He said he likes talking to people, enjoys his customers, and really loves his job. Next month marks his 45th year in business.

Amorin had no idea at the beginning that he would pretty much stand alone, having thought that other cobblers would have entered the trade.

He belongs to the Shoe Service Industry Council, which most shoe repair shops belong to. They have quarterly seminars and an annual meeting to find out what’s new in terms of equipment and techniques, and to learn any advanced skills. There are still new techniques that he has to learn to improve his skill and performance.

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He joined the council when he was 21 and was the youngest member in the state. At one time, there were 79 shops in Massachusetts. There are about two dozen now.

“It’s sad,” he said. “It isn’t because there isn’t work, but no one wants to take it over. You don’t learn it in six months. It takes a year to be able to do about 80% of the work. Then as you expand your experience and horizons, you begin to learn more about the trade.”

He has been able to take care of his family and put his daughter through college. He said he hoped his grandchildren would get into the cobbling trade, but the youngest is only 8.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” he said. “I have been very blessed. God has been good to me. It may end with this third generation, and that’s about it. We’ve had about 80-plus years, and I think that’s a very good run.”

Industry improvements continue

Amorin said his goal is to repair and return everyone’s shoes as soon as possible by working six days a week.

He said the industry has improved so much so that most products can be repaired, but whether it’s worth the cost of repair versus replacement depends on the individual.

He said he isn’t shy about making a recommendation, and he is honest.

He works on all kinds of shoes, including high-end quality shoes for women, like Louis Vuitton or a pair of Manolo Blahniks, and Brooks Brothers or Johnson Murphy for men.

He has re-soled at least one pair of men’s shoes — a pair of Alden wingtips — at least five times.

Amorin has some shoes that customers have not picked up for sale in his store, or in their drop box, but he also donates shoes to the thrift store at his church or he’ll bring them to the Salvation Army.

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Filling orthopedic prescriptions for customers in need

Amorin has an affinity for helping customers who need orthopedic shoes. He said the hardest part of looking to the future is knowing he won’t be able to meet the needs of the people in his community.

“I feel for the people who need to walk with a walker or a cane,” he said. “They need that to be able to have mobility, and that mobility gives them freedom and independence.”

Amorin said with a doctor’s prescription, it’s simple to understand what to do with them, but the challenge comes from taking that product from paper and applying it to the product you have to work with.

He said advancements in some of the glues the industry has come out with require a specific type of adhesive to bond to it because of the construction of the product, so the industry has adapted with support from the council.

He said he hopes doctors explain what’s needed to their patients, because most hip and some knee replacements require shoe modifications. He has seen patients put cardboard in their shoes, with poor results.

He said a quarter-inch difference can affect other parts of the body, and he has had patients complain that there is an imbalance.

“Once you start, you have to stay with it,” he said. “If you don’t, now you go backwards.” he said.

While he plans to slow down on his work schedule, there’s a chance he will continue to help customers who rely on his skills as a cobbler for their orthopedic needs.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford cobbler Scott Amorin marking 45 years in shoe repair