For 30 years, cobbler Benito Melo has put his heart—and many a sole—into extending shoe life for the customers of Bernardo Shoe Repair, 245 S. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale.
Melo’s two-room, 550-square-foot shop overflows with footwear awaiting repair or pickup. Peeking through the front windows, you see multiple rows of shoes and boots lined up on the floor, on the counter, behind the counter (if you could see there), and on shelves down the narrow hallway.
“People probably gonna say I have a mess here, but it’s not,” said Melo. “The shoes are in order—ones from last week, ones from a day or two ago, ones done today, and those that need to be done. I’m very, very busy these days.”…