Living in Costa Rica Retirement Relocation Tours.

An Example of the Affordability of Costa Rica

Many of shoe repair shops can also fix leather goods like purses and even canvas backpacks

One of the main reasons people choose to retire here is the affordability of the country. Utilities, hired help, public transportation, medical care and much more are a bargain here. Something I have never written about is shoe repair.

A few years ago I purchased a pair of Clark’s shoes in the States. Those of you are familiar with men’s shoes know that Clark’s makes high quality shoes. They usually cost over $100 dollars and are worth every cent of the price because of their comfort and durability.

A while back I noticed that the stitching had come undone on both of my shoes. This is because the humidity in most closets here can rot the thread. This can happen during the rainy season, especially when one doesn’t use a pair of shoes for a couple of months. Fortunately, shoe repair in Costa Rica is very inexpensive. This is mainly because the locals can’t afford to buy new shoes each time a sole wears out, a strap breaks or some other shoe repair is needed.

In downtown Heredia, about a mile from my home, there are two shoe repair shops. You enter and there are hundreds of shoes scattered all over the place. They have a system of labeling the shoes so you don’t have to worry about them getting lost or misplaced. You enter, they examine your shoes and they tell you how much it will cost to repair them. Repairs seldom cost more than a couple of dollars. The shoe makers here are very cleaver when it comes to fixing shoes. They can repair almost any type of shoe. The only down side is that they have so many customers you can’t get your shoes fixed on the spot.

Back to my pair of Clark’s shoes. I left my shoes there for four days. When I got them back I noticed they were as good as new. The best part was that I didn’t have to spend over $100 dollars to buy a new pair. “When in Rome do as the Romans.” Here we do as the Costa Ricans and  save a lot of money.

By the way, many of these shoe repair shops can also fix leather goods like purses and even canvas backpacks. I even had a special wallet made to my specifications and numerous repairs done to other items I own like a suitcase.