The Cobbler: Armenian Immigrant Puts Heart and Sole into Shoemaking | The Regulars

Armenian American George Shirikian repairs between 60 to 80 pairs of shoes a day. The 62-year-old began the intensive trade in Armenia at 14 years old, and started his first shop in the Bay Area community in 1976, when he came to the U.S. with his parents and brother. “My grandfather used to say, ’If you have a comfortable bed and comfortable shoes, you are a happy person,“ Shirikian says. Credit: Manjula Varghese Read more at Subscribe to our channel: — The San Francisco Chronicle delivers the Bay Area’s best journalism every day. Our mission is to tell the story of San Francisco — the city whose people change the world. We will inform, inspire and provoke while being honest, fearless and startlingly original. You can support our newsroom by signing up for a membership at