Reginald Ferguson [00:00:00]: I'm Reg Ferguson and I'm a Fashion Consultant from New York City, born and raised. I've been helping men look fly for years and now, I wanna help you learn more about menswear, the entrepreneurs, the brands, and top fashion tips on The Fashion Geek Podcast. Reginald Ferguson [00:00:24]: Yo. This is Reg Ferguson, Fashion Geek number 1. How are you? Well, doing another episode straight off the dome. I have a shoe guy in my neighborhood. He's been in my neighborhood for 26 years. His name is Mikhail. He's from the old country. He's Russian. Reginald Ferguson [00:00:55]: The sign in front of the store reads Michaels, but I never call him that because more about respect. But your name's the name you were born with. I can take the time to address you by your proper name. So when I first moved into my neighborhood, I didn't go to him because I had a Polish guy, literally just a few blocks away from my house. And he was good at what he did. I often get taps done, front and the back. And then, of course, you know, every once in a while, you need some emergency work done. I remember he he worked on a bag for me, a bag I got in Brazil. Reginald Ferguson [00:01:51]: And he was cool, person of few words, but cordial. Got the job done. One day, I walk over there to get my taps. Adorned, and he wasn't there. I was shocked. So what what am I gonna do? So I remember going further north in my neighborhood and going to another place on the side street. That was okay. I mean, he did the work just fine. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:22]: I think it was, like, his personality. I was kinda meh. But then I decided, hey. I need a regular guy. So around 15 minutes from my house, still in my neighborhood, there was Mikael. So I started going to him, and it was always the same routine. I come in. Hi, my friend. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:47]: How are you? Hey, my friend. How are you? And I give him my shoes. Generally, again, it would be taps. Go. Back and front? Yep. Back and front. Heel and tell. You wanna wait? Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:03:03]: I'll wait. Sometimes, I wouldn't. Most times, I did. And he'd always tell me to have a nice day. I would do the same. I met one of his sons who used to be in there all the time. Now he has his own place. He he pitches in for his dad on Saturdays. Reginald Ferguson [00:03:29]: And I'm a creature of habit, and I just started going to him all the time. And then, again, every once in a while, special project, maybe involving a shoe or a boot, a bag. Always there in the pinch. However, what I also liked is that sometimes he'd look and go, nope. Can't do it. Nothing can be done. I really appreciated that. Because to me, because it just grabbed the money, done the work, knowing that, really, it wasn't gonna be sustainable. Reginald Ferguson [00:04:10]: So I really respected the fact that he'd be willing to say no to a customer. So for shoe work, you're not coming every week. You're just not. And I have mad shoes and boots. But you go when you go, and you develop a relationship, a rapport, make them laugh, which I like. But sometimes he'd come out the back really serious, or sometimes I would overhear customers giving him the business, and I would tease about it. The gentrifiers. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:04:55]: I said it. But I really enjoy taking my taking my product to McHale. He's the dude. He's the guy I count on. And I'd like to think everyone in the neighborhood counts on him. Around 8 years ago, I came into the shop, and he looked white as a ghost. And after we exchanged our pleasantries, I said, my friend, what what's the matter? And he looked at me, started shaking his head. My friend. Reginald Ferguson [00:05:36]: I have a new owner. Alright? This new owner, my friend, he must have doubled my rent. Wow. I mean, double. Jeez Louise. And he's a shoe guy. He does shoe repairs. He sells shoe accessories, polish, I don't know, saddle soap. Reginald Ferguson [00:06:07]: Then he has a gazillion other items that, to me, make no sense. That's part of his product line. Like, hey. You want a plastic keychain? I'm your guy. The other thing he does have that I I do enjoy is that he has a watch repair business, and that's with his buddy, also from the old country, who's a Hasidic gentleman, and I like him a lot. And I just I just laugh at this at this setup, which is so typical of New York. One's a Christian, one's a Jew. Boom. Reginald Ferguson [00:06:48]: I'm the brother. We get along famously. But getting back to to the point, I could just see the stress, the frustration on my friend's face because he knows his numbers, and doubling is gonna leave him leave him flat. The shoe guy, the cobbler, they don't receive the business that I used to see, like, as a kid. Everyone went to get their shoes repaired. Now people I don't even think understand the use of taps and how it mitigates against wear and tear, particularly in the heel. Ladies and gentlemen, get taps on your heels. And when that tap becomes thin, replace it because it's so much better to replace a heel tap than a whole heel. Reginald Ferguson [00:08:00]: But we also have a a style of shopping now in which people are not really trying to maintain their leather items for longevity. They'll wear a shoe out. They won't polish it. They don't understand that leather is a skin. It needs to be moisturized. It needs to breathe. I need to work the cracks. And listen, I've been doing this since I was a child, learning from my late grandfather, but I still have learned additional things to help me to keep my shoes to be at their very best. Reginald Ferguson [00:08:46]: So my friend was just so upset. There's nothing I can do. I can just listen and be not only a consumer, but be a friend. And I remember leaving just saying, I don't know if he's gonna last. If an owner is looking at you dead in the face and go, hey. I'm the new sheriff in town. We're gonna double up your rent. Have a good day. Reginald Ferguson [00:09:14]: That's that's rough. Well, somehow, that worked out, and I remember asking him, and I could see relief on his face. He felt better. He looked better, and he said, yeah. You know, we we worked it out, which means they compromised. Right? They met somewhere in the middle. So this means my friend, his margins are even thinner. And, again, the patron is is the patronage. Reginald Ferguson [00:09:50]: It's not gonna really increase, and I think his son has done a really good job in his story. And I don't go there because it's first of all, I'm loyal to his dad, but, also, he's an additional 10 minutes away, crossing over to another neighborhood. And it seems like he's figured out the different product lines that make sense. I know he also does watch repair. This is a business that isn't glamorous, but in my mind, this is a business that's needed. So years go by. And this week, I go to get my string loafers back from Jay Fitzpatrick. Big shout out. Reginald Ferguson [00:10:40]: Justin, I know we have to do an interview. It's on me. It's not on you. Gonna do it. And the toe box is kinda narrow. I don't wear the shoes a lot. They're black. They're really beautiful, but I wore them recently for my wedding expo. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:02]: And when you wear them the whole day, you realize, oh, man. It's a little narrow for me. I have a relatively narrow foot, but my toes, they're they're rubbing against each other. They're giving me a message, so I decided to do something about it. Gave it to gave the pair to Mikhail, who always inspects my shoes because he loves my shoes. Then tries to make me feel uncomfortable because he wants to know how much I paid for my shoes. I don't like telling him that. He'll look. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:41]: He'll grab the pair with one hand. Sometimes he has his half glasses on. Sometimes he doesn't. He turns the shoes around. I feel nice. This is nice. How much you pay? I hate that. I always just kinda go in circles. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:04]: I didn't I just they're on sale. Every once in a while, I have a price tag on them, which doesn't mean I paid that price. But I think he just thinks I'm living high on the hog. And that is simply not the case. What about deals? So, anyway, I go to pick up the shoes, and, immediately, he wants me to try them on, but I have my my thick hiking socks on. I said, oh, my friend, don't worry. You had them for a week. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:40]: I was like, no. I stretched it. I stretched Reginald Ferguson [00:12:42]: it as best I have. I was like, I know you did. I'm sure you did a fine job. I had a little bit of time. There was a customer ahead of me. I waited. Customer didn't have a ticket trying to get his wife's shoes. Mikael is not a mind reader. Reginald Ferguson [00:13:00]: However, he is for me, because he never gives me a ticket. I'm in the loop. But, anyway, I don't know, started asking him, 'Hey, hey.' He's always asked me first, how is everything?' I give him an answer, and then I always ask him. He goes, the owner and I was so surprised because this has been years. 8 years. I'm thinking everything's fine. But this is what time does. Right? Here goes, my friend, my my son went to court for me, and we got the lease extended, but I'm looking for a new place. Reginald Ferguson [00:13:45]: I just I just looked at him, and I said, here? Here on this thoroughfare, which is a major thoroughfare. He's across street from a train station. He said, yeah. I said, what about the thoroughfare over, which is where I live? Reginald Ferguson [00:14:07]: It's like, yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:14:08]: That too, but this one is is better. How about a side street, my friend? No. No side street. I need the traffic. No. No. No. I understand. Reginald Ferguson [00:14:18]: Just just ask him. He said, I'll take a smaller place. I don't know his numbers, but I'm just wondering, is he gonna be able to do this? We're a neighborhood that has gentrified. It was always a middle class neighborhood, but we have a lot more services than when I first lived here. When I first moved here, we had plenty of services. Now we have an abundance. You want a Thai restaurant? We have at least 3. I don't know how they all survive. Reginald Ferguson [00:15:08]: This is business, and the owner can do what he wants. And I don't know the owner's numbers, But I know this man has been a fixture in the community, helping us walk straight, walk better, look nice, and he's gonna be he's gonna be cast out. And then I'm gonna be like my mom. I'm gonna walk past this place by myself or with someone and say, yeah. That used to be my shoe guy, and now it's a whatever. Life really isn't fair for these pioneers. It's a honorable job. He takes care of shoes and boots and bags, replaces watch batteries. Reginald Ferguson [00:16:20]: He even makes keys. I've never done that with him. I go to my hardware store. But he's there for us. And now we may not be able to be there for him anymore. Will he find a place? Will he be able to afford it? What happens if he can't find a place? Where does he go? He does earlier retirement. I do not know, but I believe this is his love. This is his joy. Reginald Ferguson [00:17:19]: I just love making him laugh, and I'd like that to last for a much longer time. Peace. Take care of your shoe guy. Always be fly.