Shoes mean many different things to many different people: a fashion statement, a collector’s item, something necessary only for walking. To senior Lauren Araya, however, shoes are a job. They’re a means by which to earn money while practicing her artistic expression.
Araya, who will enroll at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the fall, professes that art is her passion. She has been apprenticing at Arcade Shoe Repair in Westborough with cobbler Bill Horne, learning the intricacies of leatherworking and shoemaking along the way.
“It’s a certain skill that you have to practice to get good at, just like any other art… If I don’t make it as an artist, then I can repair shoes on the side,” Araya said.
Araya works in a variety of roles while repairing shoes, most of which involve leatherworking.
“I sometimes sew in sequins, sometimes I nail in heels and trim out heels, and sometimes I make innersoles,” Araya said.
Previously working at McDonald’s, Araya quickly notes the stark contrast between her work and a typical teenage summer job.
“At the job that I used to work at, at McDonald’s, it was all fast paced all the time. You couldn’t sit down and rest. But in this [job], with just a little down time, you can easily get back to work. It’s not like you have to go,” Araya said.
Thus, while many students go to the beach or to an amusement park over the summer to decompress, Araya has found a job that’s as relaxing as it is rewarding.
“It’s very low key. We’ve got the radio going on, we’ve got the TV going on… It’s a very nice, peaceful place to work,” Araya added.
However, there is one drawback to Araya’s calm, laid back job.
“At the end of the day, you’re fingers are going to feel tingly… You need to keep your fingers really tough, because it does break down on the nerves on the ends of your fingers,” Araya said.