“I never thought I’d stay in this line of work for a long time. I was aiming at precise mechanics or electronics, but everybody was talking me into keeping the family business alive and certain circumstances prevailed. I did my practice by shadowing my father and learned a lot in the process. I grew fond of talking to customers, I have a jovial personality and that makes my work a lot of fun”, Damir Korman says.
The product range of Korman Shoes includes new models of both men’s and women’s shoes, custom-made shoes and flat shoes, limited series and repairing all kinds of leatherware, which includes bags, shoes, belts, etc. Damir points out that repairing shoes and other leather items are their most sought after service with flat shoes being the most popular type of shoes.
Photo: Marko Lukunić/PIXSELL
“Making new shoes is what I like most, that makes me happy. Making something out of nothing. Making real shoes out a heap of material. I call that art. It takes up to thirty hours to make one shoe. You need to have a knack for it, be perseverant and willing to put in effort. When there’s no work, one’s ready to give up. But there’s always a reason to stay and keep on going. This is not a line of work that attracts huge crowds because the money is good. You have to love it and find contentment in it”, Korman concludes.
As far as shoes are concerned, changing trends are not that fast-paced. There’s a couple of basic models, while everything else are variations. A lot of things can be done when they’re custom-made ranging from the desired colour to all kinds of details. We get most of our new clients through recommendations, while most of our steady customers are well acquainted with how we do our work. Quite a few of them have no problem with travelling across the city just to get the service they can trust.
