Minas the Magician

Minas the Magician, by Daniel Berman

Entering Minas Shoe repair, I am immediately overcome by the effervescent aroma of shoe polish and wet leather; the smell of the trodden boots my grandfather insists on never throwing away wafts past my shoulder and out the door as it conclusively thuds onto Wall street. The walking room inside only amounts to four hundred square feet at most, but the shop’s walls are lined with paneled mirrors through which one can observe directly opposite a row of royal green shoe-shine thrones, discolored chemically by the styling gels of some very stiff-haired clientele.

The silver-haired gentleman hunches near the counter of his store, obstructing my view of the workspace behind, which bears great resemblance to the guts of a nautical vessel. Minas Polychronakos is a previous tenant of the late World Trade Center and now maintains two successful shoe repair shops on the streets of Beaver and Wall, whose interiors always house a variegated fare of flashy suits and fashionistas.

But Minas doesn’t want you to believe it’s all the Business crowd– a notion which is confirmed by praise-filled newspaper clippings taped to the store’s mirrors, haphazardly supplemented by bouquets of celebrity photos and amateur headshots. The shelving behind Minas proudly displays the unique range of footwear he resurrects, ranging from the out-of-place infant Air Jordan to the extravagant, sharp-heeled Jimmy Choo.

I briefly focus my attention on an elusively framed picture hanging nearby of the cobbler in Greece during his younger days, and I’m not surprised, given his work ethic, when he tells me the photograph is over thirty years old. For the time being, the enduring Minas claims his business is doing well despite the high cost of leasing a retail space in the financial district. “I know a few businessmen who have nearly lost their shoes in these times—‘ he jokes, ‘-but there are always new residents moving in near Wall Street, and I’d like to stay a part of the neighborhood as well.”

Minas and I shake hands warmly in farewell and I am momentarily convinced my arm will turn to gold, mythologizing that the beneficent man is a wizard in addition to a “go-to cobbler and therapist,” as claims Tina Y of Long Island in her yelp.com review. I, too, am a satisfied customer of three years, and have found he is able to resurrect even postmortem mukluks into majesty. Surely, there must be an element of magic involved.