The tiny Roy E. Steele Shoe Repair Shop on Market Street near the corner of Fifth Street is currently in the process of moving around the corner to a new store-front on Fifth. The company is under new management but will keep the long established ‘Roy E. Steele Shoe Repair’ name. The shoe repair machinery was being moved from the old shop to the new space today.
Some of the equipment looks to be quite old yet ingeniously designed for each task involved with fixing shoes. Large, heavy-duty sewing machines, rotating shoe buffers, and the like were all on parade down Market Street.
The new space looks to be slightly smaller than the original, but how much lobby room do you really need for a shoe shop? It’s good to see this place staying put, moving to perhaps a better location that will serve them far into the future. It’s hard to find tenants for the smaller retail spaces in many of Louisville’s old buildings; rather than knock out walls to expand the space, a correctly-sized tenant will help add to the density of service downtown. With all the glitz surrounding the development of glass skyscrapers, million-dollar condos, and posh entertainment districts, it’s easy to forget about the simple cobbler and the basic services he or she provides.
