By Sara Orlos Fernandes
BZ reporter Sara Orlos Fernandes tries her hand at various trades in June. With shoemaker Jens Alexander (49) she reaches her limits.
The shoemaker from Prenzlauer Berg has already repaired shoes for celebrities like Ilja Richter (70). Luckily for me there was only one women’s boot that hadn’t been picked up for two years. The mission: A new paragraph.
Most customers come to the shop on Pappelallee for this. Repairs have been routine for shoemaker Alexander since 1990. My experience is limited to putting new soles in the smelly sneakers.
With heavy pliers I first have to remove the old heel. Plastic splinters keep falling onto the floor. A tedious job, but after a few simple steps it’s done. The heel surface is briefly sanded on the grinding machine, then I have to cut the new heel to size. A real tour de force!
After the strong-smelling glue has been spread over the surfaces, I use a machine to press the heel onto the shoe. The protruding rubber is cut away with scissors, then the tacker machine is used. Unfortunately, I’m only allowed to ram the metal clip into the rubber three times. I would have occupied myself with this all afternoon.
The new heel is pressed onto the shoe on a machine Photo: Olaf Selchow
The paragraph is sitting, the euphoria is great. But it quickly subsides when I end up having to use the grinding machine. Now comes the finishing touches. Here comes the disaster. I slip and grind away the black surface down to the substance.
Screwed up: The grinding machine went wrong. The heel is scraped off Photo: Olaf Selchow
The first thought: I hope the poor woman doesn’t come and pick up the shoe after all!
The black paint and the polishing machine can hide my unsuccessful craft a bit, but in the end the shoemaker only gives it a grade of 3. “The heel would hold up at least,” says Jens Alexander.
Shoemaker Jens Alexander (49) examines the finished shoe and gives it a grade of 3. Photo: Olaf Selchow
But it would be enough for a position as an apprentice. However, there is one major flaw here. There is only one trainee in Berlin who wants to become a shoemaker.
However, Alexander does not believe that the profession will die out. “There will certainly be fewer, but we will still be around for a while,” he says.
BZ is looking for Berlin’s best craftsmen
If THEY promise to come, THEY will come. Reliable tradesmen are worth GOLD. That’s why we’re looking for the best in their field for the new theme month BERLIN PACKT AN. Suggest your colleague to us! Tell us who once got you out of a tight spot with their skill and reliability.
We count on your help. We look forward to your suggestions at: [email protected] (subject: “You can rely on them”) or by post to BZ with the keyword “Berlin packt an”, Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin.