Joshua Marin is a third-generation cobbler, born and raised in Chicago’s North Side. While he inherited the old-school trade from his father and grandfather, the 20-year-old is putting his own fresh spin on shoe repair.
source/image: Great Big Story
At his Fix Your Kicks stores, Marin lovingly restores sneakers—primarily Air Jordans—to their former glory. Today, he’s a respected business owner, embraced by the community for his high-quality work.
Marin learned the old-school shoe trade while working at a vintage clothing shop and at Red Star Cobbler Shoe Repair, in Chicago’s Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Vintage sneakers like Air Jordans routinely sell for hundreds of dollars, and can stretch into the thousands.
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Sneakers might be the flashiest part of his business, but Marin is well-versed in all manner of leather and suede repair, from replacing heels and soles to fixing zippers on handbags, to color-matching the dye for a leather briefcase.
