Image created by FIDI WEST
David Shoe Repair: New York City’s Most Trusted Shoe Repairman
For many New Yorkers, style is key. The best way to present yourself, after all, is in the way you dress. However, it’s not just about how you wear the clothes or the outfits you create with them, instead the most important part is how you take care of them. That’s where David Shoe Repair comes in.
David Yagudayev arrived in New York City in 1992 from the USSR, and after being in the country for five years, he opened David Shoe Repair in 1997. Owned and operated solely by Yagudayev, David Shoe Repair helps customers throughout New York City with their shoe needs. With almost 25 years in business, the store is tiny but mighty, servicing various customers who trust Yagudayev with their shoes.
Image created by FIDI WEST
Despite being located in the FIDI West situated on Broadway, David Shoe Repair’s customers come from all five boroughs, even across the Hudson from New Jersey, knowing that Yagudayev is one of the best cobblers in the city.
Working solo in his store, Yagudayev ensures speedy repair at a reasonable price for everyone from rubber heels, leather soles, shoe dying, shoe shining, and so much more. Over two decades in business, Yagudayev noted a distinct change in his clientele, highlighting the change from businessmen with their loafers and boots to now a more family business servicing more women, family, and everyday shoes. For Yagudayev, the COVID-19 Pandemic has been the influence of this change. Before the pandemic, Yagudayev had someone in his shopping helping operations while being dedicated to solely shoe shining. However, due to the slowness of post-pandemic operations, Yagudayev decided to work by himself and even add some new services to his shop including bag repairs, watch band replacements, watch battery replacements, and even key duplication.
Image created by FIDI WEST
Although, David Shoe Repair isn’t just a store, but instead an integral part of the NYC community. And for Yagudayev, he doesn’t look at his clients as customers but instead as fellow New Yorkers sharing a bond that forgoes boundaries, tragedy, and loss. For Yagudayev, a core memory that stands out during his time in business is the devastating 9/11 attacks in 2001. During the horrific terrorist attacks, David Shoe Repair took on the role of more than a store, it became a safe haven.
Image created by FIDI WEST
With dust filling the streets, strangers piled into Yagudayev’s shop, searching for refuge from the destruction that lurked outside. Huddled into the almost 100 square foot store, individuals anxiously waited to use the store’s phone, desperate to get ahold of their loved ones. For Yagudayev, one man stands out in particular. The man, whose name Yagudayev couldn’t recall, used the store phone to call his wife informing her that he was alive and wasn’t harmed during the attacks. The same man then visited David Shoe Repair a year later to thank David and inform him that had he not arrived late to work on September 11, 2001, he might have suffered the same fate that his coworkers had on that fateful day. That same phone used by numerous customers and strangers on September 11, 2001, still sits in Yagudayev’s store today.
An integral part of the FIDI West, David Shoe Repair continues to provide stellar service, helping everyone who visits with all of their shoe needs. Open from 9 am to 6 pm Mondays through Fridays, Yagudayev is a bright light in the downtown community offering shoe repairs with a smile.
Image created by FIDI WEST