Kitsap Historical Museum cobbles together an exhibit

Kitsap Historical Museum cobbles together an exhibit

BREMERTON — The four remaining cobblers in Kitsap County may find their industry fading in the modern throwaway society, but the historical importance of the work will be on display starting today at the Kitsap County Historical Society Museum.

The museum's newest exhibit, titled "Made for Walkin'," features everything from the size-17 sneakers worn by Atlanta Hawks forward and Bremerton native Marvin Williams to baby boots worn by a child of the commanding officer of the USS Nipsic, the first ship at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. All told, a couple dozen shoes are on display.

Museum staff and volunteers were putting finishing touches on the shoe exhibit Thursday, the day before its ribbon cutting at 6 p.m. Friday. The museum is located at 280 Fourth Street in downtown Bremerton.

The exhibit includes a historical look at how shoes were made in the olden days, along with several collections of footwear. The collections include logging and military boots and high heels from the early 1900s.

Local cobblers — those who repair shoes — also contributed to the exhibit.

Frank Perrone of Bremerton operated a shoe repair shoe for 44 years on Callow Avenue. His family loaned the museum the hammer Perrone used to craft shoes. Poulsbo Cobbler Shoppe owner Roy Back also lent some of his cobbling equipment, which dates back to the 1940s.

Back has been in the industry for nearly 30 years and has seen it take a sharp decline recently.

"The younger folks, they don't understand shoe repairing like the older generation, who had to go through the worse situations. They had to make do with what they had and get it repaired," said Back, who is 70 years old.

Even though the industry is not as strong as it once was, museum volunteers still hope visitors find rich Kitsap history in the shoes displayed.

"Students these days might study Washington history or U.S. history, but they kids don't know where they are from," said Bill Slach, 63, a volunteer helping with the exhibit set up.

"We've become such a throwaway society. People don't see the value in shoe repairs anymore."

Shoe wear, said museum curator Scott Bartlett, is a universal theme. Everybody wears shoes.

"This collection of shoes is very broad. From work wear to high fashion, it's a broad examination of footwear. And also looking at the craftsmanship perspective," he said.

Among the exhibits are Native American moccasins and Chinese silk shoes, roughly three inches long, which were used for binding feet. Elaborate leather laced women's boots and baby shoes made out of silk, cloth or leather also are on display, along with a variety of men's dress shoes and military boots.