Innovation is not always the key to success.
This couldn’t be more true than it is for Roberto Herrera, a San Jose resident who has worked in a shoe-repair shop for the past 40 years.
Herrera performs an art that few can boast mastery of; even fewer in the Silicon Valley. He crafts boots entirely by hand.
He says he's always had a passion for boot making, since his father taught him the art.
His passion grew and grew, but suddenly stopped when Herrera’s oldest son died in a car accident.
Not sure how to survive such a tragedy, Herrera closed up shop.
The passion however, was reborn when his youngest son Raphael decided to follow in his footsteps four and a half years ago.
Herrera has not only taught his son how to use proportions and patterns to make the best boot possible, he has instilled a love of the craft.
He enjoys the memories, the relationships with his customers, and now seeing his son’s passion for boot making.
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As Roberto puts it, teaching his son his trade reminds him of doing just that with his own father. He is pleased that his legacy, not to mention such a traditional craft, will continue on into the future.
He says the best boots are made when he has a connection with the customer. If Roberto doesn't feel that connection, he simply will not make the boot.
Today, father and son work side by side crafting one of a kind shoes that are made not just to fit the sole of a customer’s foot, but the soul of the person who wears it.
