Trendy or classic, taking a pair of shoes to Militello’s for repair or to be shined and polished is something of a Baton Rouge tradition.
Like the trends and seasons, Clyde Lawrence’s time with the business has come and gone, only to come back again, Business Report details in its latest feature. Twice Lawrence has left to pursue other opportunities—from 1988 to 1995 and, again, from 1997 to 2000—but he always came back.
“When Mr. (Fred) Militello hired me, he told me that if he trained me in shoe repair, I would never have to look for a job again,” Lawrence says. “It’s just stuck with me.”
Little did he know that would mean someday running the establishment on his own.
Earlier this year, Lawrence and his wife, Jerri, bought the business from the retiring Fred Anthony Militello Sr. for “a little less than $500,000,” Lawrence says, making the longtime employee the store’s newest owner.
Now the 65-year-old Lawrence finds himself at the helm of a business he’s grown to master—a seemingly old-fashioned profession he feels is slowly regaining resonance with a younger audience.
Jim Brown, Louisiana’s former secretary of state and a 30-year Militello’s regular, says Lawrence has cultivated a loyal following, making each of his errands a personalized experience.
“Clyde is old Baton Rouge—he’s personable, he knows you,” Brown says. “He might ask me, ‘Who’s that fellow who just left?’ He gets to know his customers. It’s something you think of as being from years ago, since people don’t tend to do that today.”
Ann Edelman, a Militello’s client for the past 20-plus years, says she’s never considered another shoe repair shop. Most of her allegiance can be traced back to Lawrence, who she says has “meticulously” cared for her footwear, deep-cleaning her mud-caked fall boots and clipping new heel tips on her high heels, among various other services.
Though most of his customers are baby boomers, he says millennials are starting to see the merits of conserving their leather goods. He’s noticed more 20- and 30-somethings coming into the shop, asking about repairs for their belts, purses and shoes.
As of now, Lawrence doesn’t foresee expanding his store. Instead, he plans to attract more millennials by upping the business’ advertising budget. He’s also focused on training his two recent hires in the craft of cobbling.
