In the oldest shoe store "Sloga" in Podgorica for more than 25 years, Milutin Mico Maraš made new shoes and gave the old ones a new shine.
Today, however, there is not so much business, although prices have remained favorable.
Maraš claims that the average citizen is more likely to reach for cheaper footwear, the repair of which is not worth the money because it is more expensive than the shoes themselves.
He said that it is a craft like any other, which requires skillful hands, tools and will. Mico, however, thinks it's a shame that today there is no school where one can learn the craft.
"In order for someone to start working as a shoemaker, he must first finish school, then he needs to be trained for the job through practice, but we no longer have shoemaking in schools. We would be happy to welcome a young shoemaker, but you can't just give someone material and tell him to make shoes, that's not how it works,'' he explained.
In order for someone to start working as a shoemaker, he must first finish school, then he needs to be trained for the job through practice, but in our country there is no longer shoemaking in schools.
Good shoes take all day to make, but his hard-working hands could finish two pairs.
"Making shoes by hand is different, it's a whole process, unlike industrial production where everything is done by machine and the work is divided into sectors - you know who cuts, glues, processes, and the shoemaker does it all himself and takes his time, however , if you like it, it's not difficult. I made men's and women's shoes, for all ages. This shop is the center for shoemaking in Montenegro, several workers left it and formed their own shops, and that's how it started," he said. .
Now the shop is owned by his son Željko, who has 16 years of experience in shoemaking. He told "Vijesti" that 90 percent of quality shoes are brought to the store for repair, but it happens that they also bring low-quality shoes that are not worth paying for.
Now the shop is run by his son Željko
"You see all these shoes in the store, 90 percent of them are really high quality and quite expensive. Although, today, most citizens buy in Chinese boutiques, so when they bring us such things, we explain to them that it is more worthwhile for them to buy new ones, than, for example, to put heels that cost three euros on shoes that cost five,'' said Željko.
He clarified that earlier it was a better standard and that there were more repairs.
Mico left most of the work to his son, and in the meantime he also plays table tennis
"In just a few days I have to go to Kumanovo to compete in the Balkan Championship for veterans. It's not a problem for me to reach everything, because I really like shoemaking, but I've also been doing sports for a very long time,'' said Maraš.
Prices the same since the introduction of the euro
Maraš said that the job is not very profitable and that one cannot earn much, but that it would be more difficult if the building they work in is not theirs and they have to pay rent.
Despite everything, they have not changed their prices and have customers who have been coming for years.
"Since the euro was introduced, we have not changed prices, even though the material is more expensive. We would do better business if the customers came to pick up the shoes when they are ready, because this is how it happens that we wait half a year for them to take them, and if they don't come, we have to throw them away and thus waste material and waste time,'' said Maraš.
Gallery
Bonus video:
