“Now is the time to have your winter shoes repaired”: Olivier Sébastien of Emile Pompe in Nîmes launches the Shoe Repair Spring

Des footballeurs mobilisés pour le Printemps de la cordonnerie avec Olivier Sébastien de l’Emile Pompe. Midi Libre – M. A.

Une initiative de la Fédération française des cordonniers portée par Olivier Sébastien, son représentant gardois.

Every year, it’s the same thing… After the summer in flip-flops or sandals, when the first autumn rains arrive, people rush to the shoemaker to have their winter shoes repaired and hellip; it’s the traffic jam. For the second year, Olivier Sébastien, artisan shoemaker for 16 years at Emile Pompe, rue Émile-Jamais, is launching the campaign of the French Federation of Shoemakers.

Footballers mobilized

For a start with great fanfare, Olivier Sébastien called on players from Nîmes Olympique who, for the time of a photo on the steps of the Maison Carrée, had, out of friendship, lent their old glory or their young notoriety in the cause of shoemakers: Gilles Morisseau, Bernard Boissier, Alain Espeisse, historic players of Nîmes Olympique, and the young recruit Jonathan Mexico who has his crampons repaired at Emile Pompe ;!

Shoemaker, a profession that has it under its soles

"When I took over the store on rue Émile-Jamais, the old shoemaker  whom I was succeeding me fixed everything. learned !", smiles Olivier Sébastien. "I'm the only one à work without a press, with pliers that are more than 50 years old. For him, each pair of shoes is unique. repairing is a new challenge that requires several hours of careful work. In the 80s and 90s, the profession took a hit. the surge of sneakers, & all the feet of all generations. "Some didn’n’t survive it, that’s true…" But the profession is dusting itself off, attracting new young people and even sparking numerous retrainings. "There is a return to traditional manual trades", he rejoices. "It’s a job with a future, you can make a good living from it!"

Objective: "Smooth our activity and our turnover over the year and avoid too much waiting for customers when everyone comes at the same time", sums up the one who is also the Gard referent of the Federation. "In the department, there are around forty shoemakers, and fifteen in Nîmes".

The goal is also eco-responsible: "Repairing a pair of shoes saves up to 80% CO2 emissions compared to purchasing a new pair. Supporting artisans also means fighting against fast-fashion!", smiles Olivier Sébastien.