In conversation with Femke Dix of Schoenmakerij Sole

FCL | Why and how did you become a cobbler?



Femke | I had finished my studies in photography and I was in between jobs at the time. My mom was busy making sandals, because that's what she does. (Femke chuckles) She came to this shop looking for materials for the soles for her sandals. The owner was thinking of retiring and tried to sell my mom the shop. She had no intention in buying the shop, but she knew that I was in between jobs, so she was like, “Fem, go take a look over there, because maybe you might like it.”



So, one day, I came into this shop. The owner was busy, and there were shoes everywhere. And I just fell in love with the craft. I was like, “Okay, I want to know everything about this.”



So, I went to the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht for two years. After that, I got a job in Amsterdam with a cobbler and shoemaker company that runs shops in different locations. I worked in Diemen, West, and IJburg. I was mostly in IJburg. There were no cobblers over there (in IJburg), so I was thrown into the deep. It was like being told, “You go do your thing, and we hope the shop will stay alive.” At some point, I was like, okay, how can I grow any further than this? I was told by my employer that my salary was fixed with no room for growth.



So, I came back here. No, actually, he (the owner of the shop) came back to me. Back when he first tried to sell me the shop, he was trying to sell the shop for a lot of money and I didn't have any at that moment. I was still a student. And then it had been a few years since then and he came back and he said, “Okay, now I really want to quit. Will you still buy my shop?” That's the moment we agreed on a good price, and then I could take over the shop. Ever since that, I've been here. Since 2021.

FCL | What do you love about working with shoes, and what made you decide to go into repair?



Femke | The fact that every day is different, that's why I love to work with shoes. My slogan is, every shoe tells a story. Sometimes customers tell me their stories (when they bring-in their shoes for repair) . Like, “I went to Berlin with these shoes” and other stories of adventures they had with the shoes. It’s very nice to be able to fix such personal items. I’m always trying to do the best I can do.



Another thing I love about shoes is that almost everything is fixable, even though you might think it's not. Sometimes I get a pair of shoes, and I don’t have a clue how to fix them. But, I sleep on it for a night and then I get an idea, “Oh! Maybe I can do a stitch, or a patch, or another sole!”.

FCL | What advice will you give people to help them use their shoes longer?



Femke | Take good care of your shoes. If you don't know how, visit a cobbler! I love to give advice when it comes to shoes. For example, if you don't know what product to use on your leather shoes, just visit your local cobbler. Most of us are kinda nice (chuckles). I always get enthusiastic when people want to take care of their shoes.

FCL | Do you feel like young people are going into shoe making?



Femke | No. It's actually a big problem in the Netherlands. We have a very nice school in Utrecht with all the great machines for shoe making. But, not a lot of people know about the school. And, not many people finish the course. I started school with 12 people in my class and only 2 graduated including myself. It’s a problem, so I am always trying to promote the opleiding (course/training) everywhere I go.

FCL | The school seems to be focused on traditional shoes and methods, which are, of course, relevant and important. On the other hand, adding new types of shoes to the curriculum might be appealing and interesting for younger people, as well as a necessary step, considering that modern footwear is a major part of daily life.



Femke | I think so too. I’ve also been thinking about how the training can be more accessible and appealing (so more people can learn shoemaking and cobbling). Currently, students need to go to the shoe academy once a week for 2 years. That takes a lot of time. So, me and some other cobblers think offering shorter courses for specific topics could be a good idea. For example, a person can do a course about heel repair. Then, they know exactly how to fix a heel and can already put their skills into practice. I think it’s a smart way to educate and attract new people.

FCL | What challenges and opportunities could these new repair laws bring to cobblers?



Femke | There's a lot of work at the moment, so (once the law takes effect) there will be even more work. So that might be a challenge. It’s also an opportunity because it means more business. But I think we need more cobblers to be able to fix shoes. That’s why when I speak to people who don't know what to do I say “Just become a cobbler! You will have a lot of work and good business from the get go!” The biggest challenge will be where do we find enough cobblers to do all the work that is coming our way.

FCL | What’s the story of the sign in at front of your shop?

Femke | The sign tells the story of a shoe-lasting machine and the man who invented it, Jan Ernst Matzeliger. He was born in Suriname. The reason I specifically like this story is that he and my dad were both born by the Cottica River in Surinam. I felt a very deep connection when I heard the story, and he made a machine to increase production and make shoes more affordable. He came a very long way. His mother was an enslaved woman, and his father was a slave owner. And he kept on going and going and going. He went to the USA to become an engineer. But the people there were like “We don't like this guy because he is taking away our work”. So he had a lot against him but still managed to create the machine. Wherever I can, I tell his story.

The Utrecht Shoe Academy offers a course to become a shoe repairer. Femke is open for traineeships at Schoenmakerij Sole. Read more about the traineeship with Femke here.