SERDANG: When Muhamad Firdaus Yusrizal began learning how to repair shoes three years ago, it was supposed to be a temporary job.
Firdaus' father-in-law, a cobbler, needed someone to fill his shoes while he returned to his village.
"Before he left, he taught me how to repair shoes," he said, adding that his father-in-law had worked as a cobbler for 35 years.
The former lorry driver eventually switched careers and is now a full-time cobbler, earning RM15 to RM25 for each pair of shoes he repairs.
He said he does not take advance payments for shoe repairs, and at times, this costs him.
"There are some customers who send their shoes for repair but never pick them up, even after a year or two," said Firdaus, 33.
He added that he would throw away the uncollected shoes as they would become damaged over time.
Firdaus, who runs his business on a sidewalk, said some of his previous customers included local artistes and professional footballers.
Another cobbler, Patriani Kamarudin, 48, said she believes repairing shoes is more than just a job.
"I have been repairing shoes since 2004. At the time, I was helping my husband, who was sick."
Patriani's temporary stint sparked a passion, and before long, she was repairing her own shoes and her children's.
She began to see shoe repairs as a viable business.
"Initially, I was worried because I was not convinced people still needed the services of cobblers."
The nature of the job means that business is not always consistent.
She said she earns RM30 to RM100 a day, depending on the number of customers she serves.
"I spend around RM700 to RM800 whenever I need to buy supplies, including threads, rubber, and glue," she said, adding that the supplies last a long time.