"If it's broke, fix it." That's the motto Corey Hiltz has been living by for nearly 30 years.
The Barrie shoe cobbler reveals that even though he's been repairing shoes for three decades, it took him a while to develop a passion for it. He finally fell in love with his profession "about four years ago" with the help of a little competition.
"It's stiff competition with the raised awareness of shoe repair," he says, explaining how he is very meticulous when bringing a shoe "from old back to new."
The Fix Em Up Shoe Repair shop owner admits working on footwear as a career wasn't exactly his intention. "It was a promise to a friend," Hiltz says. "I stuck with it, and I'm still repairing shoes."
The self-taught first-generation cobbler was elated when he recently received national recognition, winning a Silver Award in the North American Silver Cup shoe repair contest.
"It feels amazing to actually be recognized by your peers, that you've accomplished something after all these years." The competition has been awarding shoe artistry since 1938.
Hiltz's fix-it motto also lends itself to other areas of the shoe shop. "Fix the shoe, fix the machine." He manages to keep the antique machinery stitching year after year. "They're old cast-iron beauties, but you can't buy anything better, even today in a modern world. I got the 1946 model and the 1947 model."
Hiltz says he will likely continue to repair shoes well into his retirement. "I'll probably do it as a hobby. There's always going to be people with a need to fix their shoes and boots, and I'll always need to do something."
