Ville Hasala, who operates at the university’s metro station, is a rare modern shoemaker who diligently publishes pictures of her work in the world. Many customers have also found him through Instagram.
Oh no! The rubber soles of your favorite sneakers have malicious cracks. Has the common sky between the owner and the sneakers been gone, or could the shoes still be saved?
Usually can, assures the shoemaker Ville Hasala. In this case, he would replace the soles of the sneakers with new ones.
“Most worn shoes can be repaired, and changing replacement heels and insoles, for example, significantly extends the life of the shoes,” says Hasala.
Hasala is a rare shoemaker that he diligently publishes pictures of his work On Instagram. Through it, many customers have also found him.
The Hasala store is located at the University metro station in Helsinki. There are about 50 pairs of shoes in store on the day of the interview. Some of them are ready, some are waiting to be repaired. In addition to shoes, Hasala repairs bags and belts, for example.
Hasala ended up as a shoemaker actually by chance. At the turn of the millennium, he was still working as a security guard in Kaisaniemi, the same block where his current shoemaking business is located.
“That job didn’t feel right on its own. Around the same time, I met a guy working as a shoemaker who had a business nearby. I became interested in shoemaking, and I studied the profession with an apprentice in an acquaintance’s shop, ”she says.
The year was 2004.
After that, Hasala was an employee in the shops of his acquaintance in the Kluuvi shopping center and in Kämp Galleria. Hasala started as an entrepreneur in 2011, when he founded his own store in the Karismaan Lahti shopping center.
Hasala returned to Helsinki in 2018 as an entrepreneur at Kalasatama Red. Last fall, he moved into the University Subway Station.
“Redik wasn’t a bad place to have a shoemaker either, there were enough customers,” he says.
Once, while Hasala was still working in the shoemaker’s shop at Kämp Galleria, a job came to mind that was particularly well remembered by Hasala.
Hotel Kämp’s Portieeri brought two women’s shoes to the shoemaker, which had to be replaced with heels and insoles.
“These are for the star,” Hasala recalls the porter said.
The work was to be completed on the same day.
The next day, Hasala browsed the websites of the afternoon newspapers, as she was interested in who had given concerts in Finland.
“It didn’t take long to look when I noticed that Whitney at Houston there had been a gig in the Hartwall arena and there I was wearing shoes that I had repaired, ”Hasala laughs.
The year was 2010. Houston died in 2012.
The sole of the shoe is cut out with a carpet knife.
Hasalan the shoemaker quickly realizes that many of the pairs of shoes on the shelves are some of the most famous shoemakers in the world, Dr. Martens.
British classic moccasins, or officially landing boots, have long been footwear favored by subcultures. Today, they are fully salon-friendly footwear for all ages.
But Martens has a feature that many hard-wearing people have noticed. Their rigid pvc soles do not last. They can break or grim at the seams.
Once the old sole is removed, Hasala sands the sole of the shoe.
It is not a death sentence, for the Martens can also change their foundations.
The old sole is removed from the shoe with a carpet knife. The sole of the footwear is then sanded, as is the new sole. The sole of the shoe is cleaned with acetone to make the glue stick better. The new base is glued together.
The mounting surface is cleaned with acetone before the new base is glued in place.
The repaired Dr. Martens look almost the same as the ones pulled from the frost – with the difference that the sole attached to the shoemaker is more durable and less slippery than the original. This, in turn, is especially useful in Finnish weather conditions.
“Before I studied Martens’ repair, many people were wondering if the bases could be changed. I replied that I could not. It was just a lack of information, ”Hasala says.
A new pair of Martens costs 100-200 euros. Replacing the soles costs about 85 euros.
Fixed Dr. Martens with new bases.
Shoemakers There are about 300 in Finland, about half of whom work part-time.
Shoemaking services are currently available mainly in larger cities. Elsewhere, they are harder to find. Hasala still has a pair of shoes waiting to be repaired, the owner of which lives in Kajaani.
He is often sent to repair shoes if there are no shoemaker’s services in his neighborhood.
“People especially want to take care of shoes and bags that they have a special emotional bond with. They don’t have to be products of a particular brand. ”
An emotional bond is often the fundamental reason why people want to fix their shoes: they want to keep something they love, take care of it.
If Hasala would not be a shoemaker, he would do “some digital work”.
Hasala has a few pieces of advice for shoe buyers. “New shoes should be protected from dirt and moisture with a repellent spray. In addition to leather shoes, the spray is also suitable for textiles. There should be two or three pairs of shoes in circulation, then one shoe would not be in use all the time. On days off, you can put a resting pad inside them, it keeps the shoe in good shape. ”
Some is a natural tool for him: he updates the content of some of the movement often and happily. Hasala publishes before and after pictures of the shoes she repaired. In the updates, he tells you what products he has used in the project.
Hasala may not be the only Instagram shoemaker in Finland, but probably the most hard-working. Some say it is a good way to market professional craftsmanship as well.
“You can even ask the shoemaker for advice with a message, it costs nothing. I get a lot of contacts through Finnish. People send them pictures of their beloved, dog-chewing shoes. We then considered together whether they could still be saved. ”
A handmade pair of shoes is sometimes even better than new.
“When you get twice the life of already purchased shoes, the environment thanks you.”
Read more: Certain factors make shoes hard – Shoemakers tell you what kind of shoes to buy and what not
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