Cobbler John Elhilow keeping shoes alive in Waltham for nearly 40 years

Seventh-generation cobbler John Elhilow has spent nearly 40 years repairing worn shoes with the kindness and care that have defined his work at Superior Shoe Repair in Waltham and Holliston. 

Growing up in Holliston, Elhilow learned the trade from his father. Between sports and other after-school activities in high school, he would spend time helping him at the shoe repair shop. 

The Elhilow family’s cobbler tradition began in the mountains of Jezzine, Lebanon, where the family operated its first shoe repair shop. Elhilow’s great grandfather came to the United States in the late 1800s, first settling in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before the family moved to Brooklyn, New York. They later operated cobbler shops in Brooklyn and Manhattan from 1915 to 1955.  

The family tradition made its way to Massachusetts, where Elhilow’s grandfather opened a shop in Framingham.  In 1975, his father, also named John, opened his own shop in Holliston. 

In the summer of 1989, he came to Waltham to visit The Chateau one night when he noticed a vacant shoe repair store for rent close by. By the end of the year, he had opened up shop. Today, he splits his time between the Waltham location and running his father’s shop in Holliston.

Resoling

In the 1990s, business at Superior Shoe Repair moved quickly. Elhilow estimated the shop was repairing 10 to 20 pairs of shoes a day, compared to five to 12 pairs today. 

“Everybody wanted everything fast, fast, fast,” Elhilow said. 

Elhilow said cobblers constantly have to get creative because the ways shoes are made has changed throughout his career. As he spoke, he was fixing a customer’s boot with a rubber sole, like most made today. When he first opened Superior Shoe Repair, most of the shoes that came through the door had leather soles and heels. 

“You just got to change with it,” Elhilow said. “Otherwise you won’t have much to do.” 

Elhilow was also working on a custom-made shoe for a regular customer with a prosthetic leg. The specialized shoe, designed to accommodate the prosthetic, needed to be resoled. At his workbench, Elihow smoothed the bottom of the shoe and added rubber for extra protection before preparing to glue on the new sole. He planned to preglue it and let it dry, hoping to have the repair finished by 4:30 p.m. for the repeat customer. Beyond shoes, he works on boots, zippers and other items that need mending. 

‘The real mom and pop’

On Thursdays, Elhilow opens the Holliston shop from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., then hustles 19 miles northeast to open the Waltham from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Customers filed in on this particular Thursday afternoon to drop off shoes for repair, while others were retrieving finished pairs. 

Joe Cacciatore was picking up some dress shoes that he needed “a real good shine” for a wedding he was attending so he brought them to Elhilow. He has been coming to the shop to repair his shoes for about 20 years. 

Matthew Moseman has lived around the corner from Superior Shoe Repair since moving to Waltham in 2020. After regularly passing the shop while walking his dog and hearing good things about Elhilow, he decided to give the local cobbler a try. 

Moseman brought in a pair of leather cowboy boots he has owned since he was about 15 years old. Over the years, he has worn them to music festivals and other events that have taken their toll. Elhilow put new soles on the boots and rebuilt their interiors. 

“When you have a shoe like that, nothing can ever really match it. Nothing quite like that old leather that you’ve been living in,” Moseman said. “And so it’s great to be able to bring it to a place like this and bring it back to life.” 

Weston resident Lily Conway said she stumbled across Elhilow’s work and has been bringing her shoes to him ever since. Standing inside, she pointed around at the store. 

“This is beautiful,” she said. “This is what you call the real mom and pop.”

These days, he has little regular help at either location. His three sons pitch when they can, but many of the longtime workers he once relied on have retired. Elhilow is now training a 25-year-old who is interested in learning the trade. 

“It’s fun to work for somebody, but when you actually own the shop, you’re married to it,” Elhilow said. “It’s not like you get to go home when you want to go home. When the work is done, then you go home.”