News Archive November 2009

Winnipeg Cobbler 'KISS'ed By Fame
From: cbc.ca
Posted: November 17, 2009

A Winnipeg cobbler was called to action early this week to perform an emergency repair on one of the world's most famous pairs of boots.

Brian Layte, owner of The Shoe Doctor shop in Winnipeg's Wolseley neighbourhood, was given just hours on Monday to fix the heel of one of Gene Simmons's boots.

The bassist's flamboyant, pyrotechnic-loving rock band, KISS, was in town to play a concert at the MTS Centre that night.

A member of the band's entourage approached Layte at his store on the day of the concert with one of Simmons's trademark thigh-high boots in hand.

Layte said he dropped everything and set to work on repairing the heel, which was lifting, putting other customer's orders on the back burner.

He said the boot's design was unlike anything he's seen before, and was a pleasure to work on.

"It's a six-inch platform. There's lightning bolts all the way down the sides, several thousand stones set into it, and probably half a cow of leather," Layte said on Wednesday. "You don't see that every day."

The boot was delivered to Simmons in time for the concert.

"I presume it held well because I didn't get a visit from the KISS Army after," Layte chuckled.

It's the second time in less than two years Layte has been called upon to deal with a performer's footwear needs.

He said when singer Beyoncé Knowles came to Winnipeg in early 2008, he was approached to add some grip to the pop star's Prada stilettos.