Calzolaio Cosimo

My boots were beat up. I had them for four years and the rain and cobblestone of Florence made them look shabby. The leather was weathered and the heel was worn down to the point where the rubber was missing and you could see the construction inside the heel. After I gave them to Cosimo they look practically knew! For shining up/​recoloring the the leather a bit and fixing the heel cost me 15 euro!
*Tip: A lot of cobblers don’t know English so it is best to google translate and take photos of the translation of what you want to say. Knowing even a little bit of Italian helps especially when asking him how much something costs. Also, pictures of your shoes doesn’t help them very much, just bring in the pair of shoes so they can quote you.
Also, when finding this place be sure to have the address somewhere and follow the numbers because this place is like a crack in the wall you could walk right past it and not know especially if it is closed!.. Be sure to look at the store hours!

I thought I had a thing for shoes… Until i met Cosimo — he is the real deal. He not only repairs shoes, he even makes custom-​made ones! I went around town looking to get new soles for my leather boots. These days a pair of new «made-​in-​china» shoes will come at almost the same price of getting one repaired and I always wonder how much longer shoe-​repair businesses will stay afloat because of this; to be honest it makes me sad. Thankfully for those who have nice shoes that need repairing, shoe savants like Cosimo are around!
Not only was his price great (€ 11), but his repair and craft so perfect. I wore these boots so much to the point where not only did the rubber wear out, but part of the shoe heel was also worn. I thought there was no hope, but he managed to repair them and they look brand new!
He is a true shoe fan and has so much passion for his craft. I asked him if I could photograph the shoe history poster he had up on the wall, and then he started showing me all kinds of stuff around his tiny, tiny little place. Not sure how he manages to stack everything up in there! I definitely am so happy to have found him and have no intention of going anywhere else.