‘If The Shoe Fits’ owner retires as shoe cobbler after 20 years

Teri Edmonds has reached the end of the road as a shoe cobbler. For 20 years, she has provided Maui’s only shoe repair service at If The Shoe Fits. Now, she’s retiring from shoe repairs and starting to turn away that business.

“I have finally ‘graduated’ from public service as a shoe cobbler,” she said. “Instead, I am working on projects that I hold dear to me such as my cool boot store, my YouTube channel and taking time to enjoy island life.”

Edmonds is not closing her store, If The Shoe Fits. Instead, she’s expanding it to be a premier shop for work boots.

“I am just not providing shoe repair to the general public any more,” she said. “The success of my boot business and the great demand for shoe repair has made it so that I just don’t have the time for both.”

The boot business specializes in wide sizes and some boots are available up to size 18 in select styles.

“I offer safety toe, no safety toe, waterproof and varieties include work, hunt, farm, cowboy/cowgirl boots,” she said. “My clients range from state, county and national parks; and, of course, large and small businesses. I sell quality brands and provide personalized customer service.”

If The Shoe Fits is located in Kahului at 250 Alamaha St., Unit N-7 (next to Goodwill). Phone: 808-249-9710.

Edmonds said she won’t entirely abandon shoe repairs.  

“I still enjoy doing little projects here and there, if they are quick or meaningful to me; and I use my workshop to help my current boot customers,” she said. “I provide complimentary boot stretching or shoe modifications if needed. I like making custom belts and doing projects for my YouTube channel.”

She gives free consultations and encourages clients to bring their “broken projects” to her for recommendations or instructions on how to do it themselves. She also sells high-quality, do-it-yourself supplies for most projects and provides free how-to videos on her Youtube channel.

Edmonds’ YouTube channel has more than 200 free how-to videos, which can be found on her website.

“I have started turning people away,” she said of shoe repairs. “I have a handful of customers that I still service because they give me really fun shoes that make great content for my YouTube. There are also some very random projects that I take because they have sentimental value (those are my favorites). In general though, it only counts for 1%, the rest I am referring out.”

Edmonds bought the If The Shoe Fits business from Testers shoe repair when it was closing its doors.

“My shoe business was focused on helpinig find dress shoes for women with large feet,” she said. “I used Testers frequently to make straps bigger, stretching, etc. Finally, I got a call that he was closing, and I offered to buy it.”

After two years of training, Edmonds used the shoe repair business to make her Hot Biskit sandals.  

“I have met so many great people, including famous stars like Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler and Alice Cooper,” she said. “I have had an amazing experience and never thought my career would be so rewarding.”

She said her retirement is not because the shoe repair business is declining; quite the opposite. 

“It’s kind of crazy,” Edmonds said. “There is so much of a demand that I just can’t keep up and still provide quality service and a quick turnaround. I even raised my prices, but it doesn’t seem to matter.”

Edmonds said she’s open to selling her shoe repair business if someone wanted to start their own shop.

“There is a market for separate services too,” she said. These include stitching (biker patches, handbags, etc.); and gluing (the biggest demand for repair). The big projects are those that big equipment, including heel caps and soles.

“I will have to refer those to an off-island provider,” she said.

Edmonds said she has trained many young shoe cobblers over the years, “but it takes a real love and commitment since it is an artistic craft. I don’t have the extra time to mentor anyone.”

Edmonds moved from Tucson, Ariz., to Maui in 1995 after graduating from college with a degree in accounting. She opened a bookkeeping business and stayed in that line of work 2001 when she transitioned to fashion.

“That’s when I opened If The Shoe Fits, a specialty footwear store for women with hard-to-fit feet,” she said. “I had to take a lot of shoes to Testers shoe repair so he could help me modify straps for clients or make a shoe fit better.”

Edmonds said she was having a hard time finding shoes to fit big feet, so she designed the Hot Biskit line of sandals.

“My custom sandals were so fun and successful,” she said. “They ranged from size 4-16, and they were extra wide.  It was a way to provide pretty footwear to gals who never could fit a pretty shoe. I had some clients that had to wear men’s shoes until they found the Hot Biskit. My most famous style was a cross between the Japanese Geta and the famous local platform slipper. I still have gals that ask me for them. “

Being in the shoe business, Edmonds worked a lot with the Tester family-owned Tester Shoe Repair shop.

“I got a call one day that Terry Tester was closing the business and if nobody bought it then it would go into the landfill,” she said. “I had five days to decide. I said, ‘Yes,’ with the stipulation that Terry Tester would train me for two years. Since then, I’ve serviced thousands of customers and have seen every shoe problem and met all kinds of people.”

She repairs is a mix of art and craftsmanship, but fashion is at its core.

“I can work leather, snaps, sewing, gluing, heels, soles, handbags, you name it,” she said. “In this field, you have to be able to design solutions. There is a lot of art, and the need for a steady hand.  You have to be brave to work that big green Landis stitcher. The sanding machine can be intimidating, but it can put the finest edges on a thousand dollar sandal. Watching someone stand up straight for the first time in years because you were able to add a 5-inch lift to their shorter leg is something I won’t forget.”

While Edmonds is going through a professional transition, “I really love what I do, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said.