Ottawa loses cobbler Tino Rubio

At 36 years old, Tino Rubio already was one of the few shoe repairmen in La Salle County – and it was a distinction Rubio was happy about.

I’ve helped a lot of people over the years. It’s an interesting craft. Like they say, it’s a lost art.”

—  Tino Rubio, said in 1998 about being a cobbler

He said his business, Tino’s Shoe and Boot Repair, allowed him to make people’s lives better and let him perform a craft that was nearly left behind.

“I enjoy it, but it’s hard to say why,” he told The Ottawa Daily Times in 1988. “I guess it’s because it’s always something different. I’ve helped a lot of people over the years. It’s an interesting craft. Like they say, it’s a lost art.”

In 2023, Rubio’s standalone shoe repair shop is the last standing in La Salle County. He died Friday at 71 years old, leaving behind a legacy.

Rubio began as an apprentice at 16, taking over 11 years later and buying the business in 1985, according to the article. He learned the craft from Bill Salomone, who died in 1978. That same year the original store, called Salomone’s located next to Roxy Theater, burned down. It moved to 221 W. Main St. and by then Rubio had bought the business and diversified by selling antiques. Rubio moved his store to 1015 La Salle St., where it remained until 2019 when he relocated to 217 W. Main St.

When learning the trade as a teen, he would walk past nine other shoe repair shops on his way to Salomone’s. In the article, Rubio said they ceased to exist because the owners failed to pass their craft down to younger people. In a 2020 Starved Rock Country article, Rubio said he passed on his craft to his grandson, Tyler Ahrendsen, who works in his shop and would someday take over the business.

Much of Rubio’s work was repairing orthopedic shoes. He also made lifts for shoes, repaired jackets and luggage, laced baseball and softball gloves, replaced zippers, fixed cowboy boots, and ordered specialty medical shoes.

In the article, Tino said he could tell a lot about people from their shoes. For instance, a butcher has a layer of fat on this shoes, while a bartender’s shoes may be dried out from the alcohol splashed on the floor all night and truck drivers have little holes in their soles from the constant pressure on the vehicle’s pedals.

Shoe repair, he said, draws people from all walks of life.

The Times / NewsTribune / Bureau County Republican is committed to keeping readers up to date with business happenings in the area. Much of our reporting relies on what we see and hear, but we’re also reaching out to readers for tips on business items. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email newsroom@mywebtimes.com.