[Euljiro Rotary] 'Myeongdong Star-sa' Continues as a Hipjiro... Promoted via Instagram and Repairs Delivered by Courier

Promotion Mainly Online
Product Delivery by Courier and Quick Service
Increasing Foreign Customers

‘Leatherfield’, a luxury leather repair specialist shop located in the middle of the food alley in Chungmuro 3-ga. With its cool glass windows allowing a clear view inside, this shop naturally attracts frequent glances from passersby due to its structural characteristics. Inside and outside the shop, various leather products such as shoes and bags, seemingly left for repair, are densely piled up waiting for their owners.

On the 28th, Park Hyun-woo, the owner of 'Leatherfield,' a luxury leather repair specialist located in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul, is repairing shoes that were requested. Photo by Moon Hye-won

During weekday lunch hours, sitting among the bustling customers at a cafe across the street and quietly observing this shop, one can easily notice that there are hardly any customers entering or leaving the store. This is surprising given that the commercial area is densely packed with government offices, media companies, and businesses, where one would expect many customers to get their shoe heels repaired during lunch breaks.

On the 28th, our reporter met with Park Hyun-woo (30), the owner of Leatherfield, who explained, “We mainly promote through Instagram and use courier or quick delivery services for shipping items.” According to Park, Leatherfield’s marketing is primarily done by posting before-and-after photos on blogs and Instagram. Customers take pictures of the items they want repaired and show them online to the owner to get a price estimate. The repair items are exchanged between the customer and the shop via courier or quick delivery services.

It costs about 50,000 KRW on average to replace the heel of a pair of shoes, and it usually takes about 2 to 3 days. In a regular shoe repair shop just a one-minute walk away, the repair cost is 5,000 KRW per pair. Park explained that there are reasons why they have to maintain such a high price policy. Since the shop mainly repairs high-end foreign luxury leather products such as Dior, Chanel, Gucci, and Givenchy, they have no choice but to use expensive materials like leather ink (pigment) and Vibram soles, he said.

On the 28th, Park Hyun-woo, the owner of 'Leatherfield,' a luxury leather repair specialist shop located in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul, is repairing shoes that were requested. Photo by Moon Hye-won

Park said, “When doing color restoration (dyeing), we have to work with leather ink (pigment) as lightly as possible, and when reinforcing the sole, not only the front heel but also the back heel wears down, so we have to carefully reinforce the entire sole. This means the work takes longer and requires more delicate attention than general ready-made products,” emphasizing, “At first glance, the price may seem too expensive, but it is a task that requires a lot of dedication.”

Leatherfield started from a household goods store that Park’s father had operated in the same location for 40 years. Park takes great pride in preserving and nurturing his father’s livelihood. The interior wall of Leatherfield is preserved in the wooden style typical of the 1970s and 1980s. Various equipment such as sewing machines and cleaning frames brought in by Park for leather repair blend harmoniously, creating a retro atmosphere.

Park cited ‘Myeongdong Star’, a renowned artisan who has been repairing foreign luxury shoes for over 30 years since the 1980s, as his role model. Myeongdong Star is a specialty shop for imported luxury repairs started in 1988 by Kim Byung-yang (88), originally from Jangseong, Jeollanam-do, who took over a shoe repair shop in Myeongdong. Park said he is laying the foundation for walking the same path as Kim, a leather artisan, here in this hip area called Hipjiro.

'Leatherfield', a luxury leather repair specialist located in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hyewon

Park said, “Now the trend for luxury repairs has changed to promoting online (Instagram) and exchanging items via courier,” adding, “It is also very popular among young customers in their 20s and 30s who accept foreign luxury goods without resistance.”

Since the endemic phase, the number of foreign tourists has increased, and the number of foreign customers visiting Leatherfield is gradually rising. Park said, “Many foreign tourists stay in Myeongdong when they visit Seoul, and since the shop is nearby, they can leave their shoes or bags here and pick them up on time according to their flight schedule, which has received favorable reviews.”

Editor's NoteAnother name for Euljiro is 'Hipjiro'. Although the area shows a confusing mix of old buildings and reconstruction scattered throughout the alleys, it offers a unique charm where the past and present overlap. Once facing a crisis due to industrial decline, Euljiro’s vitality has been revived by the footsteps of young people. We explore the future of the city by meeting those who have established Euljiro’s unique sensibility and those striving to carry on its legacy.