THUNDER BAY - It may come to the surprise of many, but Thunder Bay is now home to one of the top shoe repairmen in North America.
At least that’s what the Shoe Service of America claims after giving Martin Sugg a Silver Cup award for his work.
Sugg is the owner of Timeless Shoe Repair on Alloy Place, and he recently received the accolade after competing in an international competition that grades the quality of shoe repairs.
“The goal is to make the shoe as close to the original as possible,” Sugg explained. “We encourage all shoe repairmen to enter. It helps elevate our craft.”
Sugg was chosen from a field of 30 as the fourth best repairmen, good enough to send him home with a trophy.
“It’s amazing,” Sugg said. “I was just looking to get some feedback so I knew where to improve and do better.”
“I certainly wasn’t expecting fourth place.”
It appears that Sugg has just about mastered his craft - a craft he’s worked on for a discontinued 14 years.
"There's no formal training or anything like that. You can't go to school for this, so it's good to have something to put on display."
Sugg has been the owner for just under four years, and is the only shoe repairmen actively working in Thunder Bay.
“It’s typically an old-fashioned service. Today’s mentality is buy cheap, use it up, throw it away, and replace it,” Sugg explained. “But when you buy good quality - it’s cheaper in the long run.”
He admits that although the craft has declined, the internet age has sparked a revival of sorts for his work.
“In the last four years I've learned more online than I ever did in my first ten years on the job,” he said. “If I don’t know how to do something, I just post something online, and hundreds of years of experience can offer me help.”
Sugg, who does not advertise in any fashion, has also relied on Facebook to help promote his business.
He believes his role in the community serves an important purpose, and offers a favourable alternative to a new purchase.
“When you wear shoes, they become shaped to your foot after you’ve worn them for a few months,” Sugg said. “We grow very attached to our footwear, so obviously getting a repair is going to be cheaper than replacing.”
