He said there have been bombings near his hometown of Berdychiv and he has a lot of family still in the country. While his life is in Colorado, Belanchuk’s heart still largely remains in Ukraine. Dan Boyce/CPR News Alexander Belanchuk took over the longstanding Bon Shoe Repair shop in Colorado Springs in 2019. On top of the huge amount of work he has, he still commutes back and forth to the Springs from Denver each day he and his wife found a home they love near where she works. He took over the longstanding Bon Shoe Repair shop north of downtown Colorado Springs three years ago. “Those Ugg boots were 20 years old and he brought back to life,” Logue said.īelanchuk followed his son out to Denver after moving to and living in Brooklyn, New York, for about 30 years, where he also repaired shoes. Logue asked Belanchuk to restore the bag after he worked on a pair of his wife’s boots.
Colorado Springs resident and customer Patrick Logue recently picked up a leather satchel that belonged to his father. Shoe repair isn’t the only work that Belanchuk does. “My advertising? It’s my skills,” he laughed.
Dan Boyce/CPR News A selection of adjustable shoe “lasts” hangs in Alexander Belanchuk’s shoe repair shop on August 16, 2022. Dan Boyce/CPR News Alexander Belanchuk applies glue to new footwear soles in his Colorado Springs shoe repair shop on August 16, 2022. His business comes up on a Google map search for “Colorado Springs Shoe Repair,” but other than that, he doesn’t advertise. He writes customers’ receipts in pencil on yellow tickets and he only accepts cash or checks. More than half a century later, his own shop - Crazy Alex Shoe Repair - keeps him busy six days a week. “I liked it when he built completely from scratch: boots, shoes, you name it,” Belanchuk said of watching his uncle at work. Now in his 60s, Belanchuk decided he would follow in his uncle’s … footsteps … and train as a cobbler starting when he was 14 years old. On this day, he did it while affixing new soles to a pair of cowboy boots. He listens to the updates in his native language. Alexander Belanchuk says today’s dispatch is about Ukrainian forces attempting to destroy some Russian artillery.
At the front end of a modest shoe repair shop in Colorado Springs, a smartphone played YouTube field reports from Ukrainian military officials, as it does throughout most days.
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