Shoemaker Salih Usta, whose real name is Ali Ören, who is seen as one of the values of Buca, is still at work actively and has no intention of leaving, despite his age approaching almost 80 years. Kunduracı Salih has been serving for more than half a century in the Yanıkkahveler district of Dumlupınar District, which is the first district of Buca, and whose history has been the subject of history many times.
Shoemaker Salih Usta, who started his professional life at the age of 7, which can be considered a very young age, opened his first shop at the age of 16 and entered the mastery period. Shoemaker Salih Usta, who has only been working with handcraft since the first years he learned the business, that is, 60 years, continues to do what he knows, despite the retail companies that make duplicate production.
Shoemaker Salih Usta, one of the few remaining masters of shoemaking, which is seen as one of the professions that will disappear today, has been working in his modest shop for many years with only personalized designs.
Due to the easy access of raw materials and rapid developments in the industry, companies that make duplicate production have taken the place of personalized designs in the world. Contrary to the brands that are among the undisputed winners of the market share, Kunduracı Salih Usta can make them look beautiful both orthopedically and relatively for the customer, with specially designed shoes.
Shoemaker Salih Usta, who has been keeping the foot templates of his customers for 30 years, can send them to his former customers, who reach him by phone, without ever coming there, by producing them with his craftsmanship. In this way, Shoemaker Salih Usta not only becomes the symbol of Buca, but also has a customer network both in the country and abroad, making his name heard in dozens of different locations.
For a long time, Shoemaker Salih Usta, who designed and produced the boots of Şirinyer Hippodrome jockeys specially for the person and the race, now unfortunately stands out as one of the masters who perform this craftsmanship, with the mass production of such products.
It is a bit heartbreaking that Shoemaker Salih Usta, who has been working since he entered his professional life at the age of 7, does not have an assistant to whom he can transfer his duty, that is, his mastery, that another master from the profession is missing.
In today’s world, where retail companies born from rapid urbanization and mass production in the industry dominate almost the entire market, Master Shoemaker Salih will not only be known as one of the last shoe craftsmen living in Izmir, but will be remembered as such in the future.
Where is Shoemaker Salih Usta? 📍
Address: Dumlupınar, 83th Street, No 28, 35160 Buca, İzmir
How to get to Shoemaker Salih Usta ? 🚖
🚌 Bus: It can be reached to Salih Usta, the humble shop of Shoemaker Salih Usta, by getting off at Dokuz Eylül Education Faculty bus stop with the buses numbered 104, 206, 304, 470, 476, 490, 515, 676, 805 and 940. Due to the centrality of the location, it is possible to reach it by using different bus stops.