Why people are travelling from the US to visit this Fife cobbler

The National

13-05-2025

Mark Gibson got his start in the trade just before the turn of the decade, after landing a job at Timpson in the city's Asda Halbeath.
After learning from a fifth generation cobbler, and developing a passion for shoe restoration, Gibson decided to launch a YouTube Channel, Cobbler G.
He said: 'Originally, I wanted to show my wife and family what I actually do at work.
Mr Gibson has amassed over 20 million views on his YouTube channel, (Image: Submitted) 'I wasn't expecting it to go anywhere, but it took on its own path and I got really into it. I love the process of filming and editing, which goes back to my younger days of skating.'
His videos showing the repair process have now amassed over 20 million views, earning the 35-year-old father 81,000 subscribers.
It's drawn in customers from far and wide, with one Canadian fan using a work conference in London as a chance to nip up north and have Gibson fix his beloved boots.
Another person from Georgia, USA, came to Gibson's Edinburgh Timpson branch with two pairs to complete over a two-day trip.
Gibson said: 'Matt had been watching my channel for a couple of years and decided he would bring two pairs of vintage shoes to be restored.
'He came when we had a huge storm, and I had to close on one of the days meaning that I only had around eight hours to do both pairs.
'It was tight, but I got there in the end. I try and take it easy because when you're stressed that's when you make mistakes.
'It's all the small details that are the longest, but those are the things that make a big difference to the end product.'
Gibson discussed why people choose to have a pair restored instead of buying new.
He said: 'I've heard a couple of people say, 'when your tyre goes out, you don't buy an entire new car.'
'It's the same with shoes, often there's no reason to throw the pair out when you can just replace the soles.
'We live in a throwaway culture where most people buy cheap China made shoes then chuck them out, but if you buy for quality they can literally last a lifetime.
'Most of it comes to sentimental value. Often, it's been passed down through the family and they want to keep them alive.
'Everybody has a pair that they've loved, and seeing them be brough back to life is quite a cool thing.
'Sometimes I don't tell the customers I'm doing a video, and then it shows up when I send them an email.'
Often people bring in shoes to be repaired when it would be cheaper to buy a new pair.
However, Gibson explained that it often comes down to the fact that they are no longer in production.
He added: 'The oldest pair of shoes I've done were from the 1960s and the oldest pair of boots were World War Two cavalry boots that were actually used during battle.
The World War Two boots had been passed down through generations. (Image: Submitted) 'They had been passed down through the generations, so there was a lot of pressure there. These things aren't made anymore and are pretty much an antique.
'I'll work on one shoe at a time, so I know how it's put together. I'll break them down in reference to the original so I can match it up as closely as possible.'