Anton’s Shoe Repair

The place shows its age, as does the owner/​operator, Anton. It appears to be a genuine cobbler shop, with certificates and newspaper articles proudly displayed on the wall. However, the shop appears to be past its prime and unkempt. I’m not sure what are the typical repair jobs that Anton does to keep the shop alive, but I know he does great work adding new rubber soles to leather shoes. (I’ve inspected his handiwork that he completed for another customer)
I inquired about leather shoe care products, specifically polishes, creams and waxes. His greatly diminished product shelf offered nothing that I was looking for, but rather the quick and easy one step instant shine stuff that I was trying to avoid. I had wanted to use horse hair brush to properly polish and buff my shoes. He didn’t carry any of these items (anymore) and opts to save time and energy by using the instant stuff.
In the end, this shop is not for me. Perhaps 30 years ago when it was full of vitality, but today it appears the energy and passion is gone, at least in the store front portion of the shop.
I have not had my shoes repaired here so I cannot comment on that.

If you’ve been doing something since 1949, then you probably know what you’re talking about. I always wanted an excuse to check out one of those mom and pop shops in the heritage part of Thornhill. So I took my boots in for a pre-​winter restoration. I felt all high and mighty, thinking my boots will keep this guy in business. It turned out he was doing quite well without me. He said they didn’t need any work but suggested a special waterproofing oil, which I bought (probably could have found something substantially cheaper at Walmart but what the hey). He could have easily taken them in and returned them back unchanged for some quick cash. I appreciated the decency. I guess you don’t stay in business for as long as he has by ripping off the townsfolk. The experience was quite neat. The old smells and the charming craftsmanship took me back to the bazaars of the old country. I couldn’t help but get a bit nostalgic.