It’s a real old craft: shoemaker. But there are fewer and fewer of them, according to figures that the NOS requested from the Chamber of Commerce. Fortunately, they did not notice anything of this in the De Leermeester shoemaker in the center of Eindhoven on Tuesday afternoon. Luuk van de Waal (23) is busy repairing a pair of brand shoes there.
A few customers wait patiently as Luuk is repairing a pair of sneakers in the back of the store. “I’ll be right there with you!” he shouts. Meanwhile, he works the needle and thread of the machine through the shoe. “I was already crazy about shoes when I was thirteen,” he says. “At school I loved those Jordan sneakers, I was actually always involved with shoes.”
The woman in the shop would like her bag to be made, a job that is done in no time, according to Luuk. He skilfully sews the leather back together. “You get all kinds of different assignments on such a day, that’s what makes the work so much fun”, he laughs.
According to him, the fact that Luuk practices an old craft at such a young age never causes any problems. “Customers really like it and they sometimes ask for me especially. For example, if I’m at a party and tell them what kind of work I do, people sometimes react with surprise. But they always like it very much.”
Luuk thinks it is a shame that there are fewer and fewer shoemakers, but according to him there is also something that can be done about it. “Shoes change a lot, nowadays everyone wears sneakers. That gives new work, such as cleaning sneakers.”
But Luuk also thinks that some things need to improve. “We should be a bit more sustainable. Shoes that last longer and where you can replace the sole again are much better. If the sole of sneakers is broken, you can actually throw the shoe away immediately and that is a shame. “
In the store some customers come in again, someone wants to have a key made. A job that Luuk also does in his shop. “Sometimes I get crazy requests,” laughs Luuk. “Once a couple came in who was arguing. I wanted to cut their mattress in the middle and sew it up. So they could both take a part home.”
Luuk is not worried about the future of his profession. “If you do what you’re good at and you enjoy it, the rest will come naturally.”