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Arthur Poitras at the cobbler's bench, Custom built shoes, 2012
Arthur Poitras Cobbler Shop
Lowell, Massachusetts
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Joe Arthur Poitras is a third generation cobbler from Lowell, MA. The family shoe repair business started by his grandfather is now 100 years old. "Personally, I was born to the trade and stayed with it. . . . It's a dying trade; nobody gets anything repaired now," Arthur lamented. His cobbler shop is the only one left out of the 35 formerly operating in Lowell.
Many of the hand tools and machines Arthur uses were passed down to him by his father. Arthur is an expert on orthotics and personalizes shoes to fit the needs of individual customers. First, he takes a carbon imprint of each foot, which reveals any unevenness in weight distribution. Then, he carefully watches how a customer walks. After that, he designs orthotic inserts to correct any problems.
Carolyn Babicz started as a satisfied customer before she began helping Arthur with stitching. Together they not only give new life to old shoes, but also repair handbags, belts, car seat covers, and luggage handles. Some of the more unusual items they have fixed include a harness for a guide dog and a fireman's helmet.
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