Shoe repairmen in the news

Shoe repairmen are the new typewriter repairmen: in other words, shoe repairmen too have become the subjects of human-interest stories tinged with vague nostalgia. Here is an example. And another. And one — no, two — make that three more.

I can remember as a boy sitting in a stall-like structure with a swinging door, waiting while new heels were put on my shoes. Was that common?