NEVER wear tight shoes; and when washing, wipe those shoes thoroughly with a little soap powder or sweet smelling liquid soap, not bleach; and put them out in the sun for a bit. Be careful not to leave them out too long, lest they become damaged. And let air do the rest, once they are taken out of the sun.

Take it from city cobbler Dereck Ramcharitar, that this is the correct way to clean your shoes! Ramcharitar has been in the business of repairing shoes for some 22 years. He told us recently in an interview that the best type of shoes women should wear are the ones that carry an open front.
Why? He explained that this helps with blood circulation in the body. Only men, Dereck said, may wear shoes that are closed up in front. However, those shoes should be a little slack to allow for circulation. In fact, he recommends that people should always wear shoes that are soft and comfortable.
Dereck, 48, is a resident of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. Fixing shoes has become like second nature to him, he said. He originally wanted to enlist in the military, but that didn’t work out; so he sought other jobs. However, he still found it difficult to care for his wife, Janet.
Things got better for them, though, when Janet helped him find a job with a city cobbler who worked in the Fogarty’s Building at the time. When Dereck started out, he knew little about the art of repairing shoes, but underwent some teaching by the city cobbler. Eventually, he mastered the trade, and started loving what he was doing.
The cobbler eventually migrated, so Dereck was left with the business, which he took over some eight years ago. He moved from Fogarty’s Supermarket to the Guyana Stores Building across the road, and having stayed there for some time, he moved again to the Guyana Post Office building, where he presently operates and can be found once the searcher makes two right turns upon entering the post office from North Road.
Explaining some of the services he provides, Dereck said: “I do ladies’ shoe heel…mek yo shoes look back new. We do the half sole, whole sole with imported stuff. People buy pumps, and within two weeks the bottom break up…we will replace the bottom, and it usually lasts real long. We do gents’ shoes with imported gents’ heels, and could replace the heel with imported ones. We do gents’ soles too. So, everything about shoes we do.
“The material I use is very strong. It doesn’t break, and it doesn’t grind down easily, so you can mash the pumps properly. The heel I use for the ladies’ shoes is the best quality in the world. I used to use other materials, but people complained, so I got better stuff.”
Unlike some cobblers, who fail to deliver quality work, Dereck believes that satisfying the customer is first priority. “My business is all about quality and giving people advice. I tell you what type of shoes to buy on the market. I think about satisfying the customer first, and then about getting paid.”
Offering some advice to other cobblers, Dereck said: “If something (shoes) cannot be done, don’t take it and do it. First thing you should do is to advise people. Don’t work for the money alone, give people advice. You get more customers that way. It’s best you tell people the truth. You have to love what you do before you can get it right. Put your heart into it and everything falls into place.”
Dereck was modest enough to admit that he was not always this kind of person. “I was no good in character. Only until I started to do this job, everybody knows Mr. Nice Guy. Twenty-two years ago, you wouldn’t want to know me. My wife and kids (Dereck jnr. and Lisa) had a good effect on me. When you get responsibilities, you change. Everybody can change.”
Dereck works from Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, and from 8.00 am to 11.00 am on Saturdays. He also works at home sometimes.