Measuring to make our leather magazine holder repair

Suede hiking boots in the process of being made.

There are many throwback skills on display in Atenas and the surrounding barrios.

One is the cobbler/shoemaker/leather workers that are located in the heart of Atenas.

We had a leather magazine rack for our Costa Rica rocker that had a broken strap. In the US this would have been trash, but here we knew the answer was right around the corner downtown Atenas.

As we walked into the tiny shop, he stopped what he as doing and showed off the hiking shoes he was in the process of making. He showed off the shoes that lined the wall and the pile of catalogs where he explained that we just needed to pick out what we wanted and he would make them.

We left the magazine rack and returned the next morning, paid the $2 for the repair.

A friend had a pair of sandals made from a catalog photo. I have no idea what these cost, but the friend who is very skeptical was very satisfied with the results.