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Continuing three decades of business, the apprentice has become the master at Broadway Shoe Repair

(Image: Broadway Shoe Repair)

Just over 33 years ago this December, Broadway Shoe Repair began serving the community of Capitol Hill. Founder Ward Luhman would continue to own and run his business until this summer. During the last six years of her father’s ownership, Shelly Luhman worked an apprenticeship leading up to her taking over the leather repair shop in Broadway Market. Ward can finally rest and enjoy a well earned retirement. Broadway Shoe Repair, on the other… hand, still has work to do.

Since September, Luhman and her business partner Bobby Glukhov who joined the shop after moving from Portland four year ago, have been working to keep Capitol Hill’s shoes looking good.

The shop has seen “steady” repair business and return clients even as the neighborhood has grown more and more expensive. Of course, all that wealth has a side benefit to a business like Broadway Shoe Repair.

The biggest change the business has seen over its more than three decades, Luhman says, is “an increase of more expensive shoes.”

 

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Longtime customers, especially those with less fancy shoes, remain an important priority for Luhman. She says she hopes that part of the business her father started to keep going strong.

Though many folks are being displaced from the Hill because of rising costs, “when people come back to Seattle,” they make a point to stop by the Broadway repair shop, Luhman says. Some customers, she says, have been coming to Broadway Shoe Repair since before she was born.

Luhman’s shop has managed to stick around through changes on Broadway and in the retail building it calls home. In 2015, grocery-focused real estate investment company Regency Centers Corporation paid $43 million for the Broadway Market. More changes in the mix at the shopping center are all but guaranteed as the retail industry shifts.

In the meantime, the shop has also stuck around through the years thanks to its flexibility.

Luhman says Broadway Shoe Repair  “doesn’t just fix shoes” but also can help with “all kinds of leatherwork, purses, bags, belts, luggage and  also custom works per request.

“Broadway Shoe Repair is very willing to take on special requests, essentially we try to not say no to anything,” Luhman said.

Other parts of the shoe repair grind never change. The shop is still open seven days a week just as it always has been. It has also managed to survive with a crew of only four workers — and sometimes fewer — over the years. Finding people with experience repairing shoes is an ongoing challenge, Luhman said. One way Broadway Shoe Repair has addressed the challenge is offering paid internships.

Being a part of repairing people’s most-loved shoes on Capitol Hill can make you a most-loved part of the community. Many on Broadway mourned the passing of Mitch Caddy in 2015. Caddy had been cobbler at the shop for 24 years. He was remembered by Broadway Shoe Repair closing for the day, a rare closure amid those many years of the daily grind.

You’ll find Broadway Shoe Repair at 815 E Republican in the Broadway Market. Learn more at facebook.com/broadwayshoerepairseattle.

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11 Comments
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louise
louise
4 years ago

One of the best shops on the Hill and they are wonderful people that do great work.

media meat doll
media meat doll
4 years ago

i found this place when I moved to the hill, from portland, 6 yrs ago..

i always take my leather bottom loafers in for heels & traction (gawd knos the slippery bricks around seattles infamous rain)

EVERYONE IVE EVER ENCOUNTERED (all 4 ppl) have been nothing short ov amazing, helpful l, and assisting in cost effective services

I love this spot!!

Tho I’ve since moved out to the beach I still take my leather to them!

It should totally be a testament and cele these guys are still here!

fuck yea \m/
thanks!!

Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor
4 years ago

Doug Carter
Doug Carter
4 years ago

Love this shop! Have since they first repaired my ‘Vogs back in the day. Leather Coat repair, boot repair, I trust them with all my leather goods!

Prost Seattle
Prost Seattle
4 years ago

They did some custom work on a tote bag for me that has held up for several years. Excellent craftsmanship.

reft
reft
4 years ago

nice! a post about a normal, everyday person doing well and pursuing their dreams

Ariel
4 years ago

A couple times when I’ve brought more complex shoes in to Angel’s shoe repair up on 15th, he’s been like “meh, the folks down at Broadway Shoe Repair can do this better than I could.”

…And they’ve always lived up to his word! Great folks.

I feel like in this era of fast fashion, where tons of shoes can’t be resoled, shoe repair places are sort of a magical dying breed… But I love that Capitol Hill has TWO old venerated shoe repair businesses, that clearly support each other.

Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor
4 years ago
Reply to  Ariel

You can thank Ian Eisenberg for the continued existence of one of them

Ariel
4 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Taylor

Oh yes, I remember the intrigues of the ruckus / angel / ikes / “pot blocking” dramaz quite well, thanks.

clew
clew
4 years ago

Congratulations to Broadway Shoe Repair!

And thanks to them for recommending shoe makes that can be really resoled. They’re good shoes and repairing them is paying off economically.

Truth
Truth
4 years ago

Huge shout out to former employee Clayton who also made Luhman’s retirement possible but now sleeps in a doorway in the neighborhood whose shoes he fixed for over 15 years.