Melbourne Weekly says we have a 'Whole lot of Sole'

Jess Cameron-Wootten’s footwear creations are a favourite among nursing-home residents, diabetes
sufferers and leggy runway models. It’s no surprise the 26-year-old has made a name for himself among such a diverse crowd; he’s one of the city’s last remaining cobblers who make custom shoes to fit.

“It’s a bit of a dying art form,” he says from his Hampton East shopfront and factory, Doc Cobbler.

“All of the factories that were making footwear closed down in the 1980s. It’s amazing to think that they used to produce 15,000 pairs of shoes a week in Collingwood.”

The company specialises in orthopaedic footwear, an industry that is booming due to a sharp rise in footrelated problems. “There’s actually quite a big demand for it. Diabetes is the biggest one, people get very sensitive skin on their feet. We deal with all sorts of professions – podiatrists, orthotists, and surgeons.”

Purchasing a pair of shoes from Doc Cobbler is not as simple as walking into the sleek shop, choosing a

size and handing over money. Each customer’s arch, instep and foot length and width are measured, and the cobbler makes each pair to fi t precisely. “There’s a few fittings required, it’s quite a process,” Cameron-Wootten says.

A pair of shoes can take anywhere between 10 and 20 hours to create and will set customers back about $600 for shoes and $800 for boots. But Cameron-Wootten says the price is justified. “You have something that fits you. People say it sounds like a lot of money, but you can buy five pairs
of shoes for $100 and be worse off.”

The shoes are designed to last a lifetime, and it’s not uncommon for customers to return to the shop for
years to get their shoes resoled. “That’s the sad thing about the way we live,” Cameron-Wootten laments. “You buy things, use them and then throw them away. But these shoes will last much longer and can be repaired.”

Cameron-Wootten took over from shop founder Peter Cordwell 18 months ago after leaving a career
in industrial design and enrolling in footwear production at RMIT. He says his transition into the world of shoemaking was an obvious career path. “My father was a shoemaker and I already had a lot of his old hand tools and had been tinkering around. I started making bags and belts before I started making
shoes.”

Although Cameron-Wootten is now company director, he still works alongside Cordwell, who has more than 30 years experience in the industry and an unwavering passion for Australian-made shoes.

The company began 18 years ago as a sport shoe specialist that created football boots for the likes of Gary Ablett and Stephen Silvagni. “We used to be commissioned by Adidas and we had to hand-stitch the stripes onto the shoes. We still have all the soles with Adidas markings out the back,” Cameron-Wootten laughs.

These days, the small business focuses on stylish, orthopaedic lace-ups, sandals and boots as well as the occasional pair of high heels.

Cameron-Wootten recently had the pleasure of working with Melbourne based fashion label TV and produced one of the surprise hits of Sydney Fashion Week, 10 pairs of open-toe, high-heeled
boots.

The budding entrepreneur has plans to expand the business so that it has an outlet closer to the city. But at the moment, he’s busy making sure his designs remain comfortable and fashionable. “We are working on new designs all the time, trying to contemporise some of these older designs, trying to capture that fashion market.” mwb

Doc Cobbler is located at 864 Nepean
Highway, Hampton East. For more information,
visit www.doccobbler.com.au or
call 9532 2611.