To walk a mile in Eugo Gombosed’s shoes would mean understanding the blood, sweat and tears he has put into his craft for the last 30 years.
Those who stroll down Broadway in Burlingame can find him at his workshop that bears his namesake, EuGo, the art of shoemaking, his custom shoe and repair store. What separates Gombosed’s store from other shoe stores is that his clients can come in with a concept and much like a tattoo he will help bring that idea to life.
“Once I hand the finished product to my clients, seeing their reaction and smiles makes all the hard work worth it to me,” Gombosed said.
The six steps of making a shoe begins with an idea he sketches. From there he creates a shoe last, a mold that will form the shape. From there, Gombosed cuts patterns and creates the upper, which is the upper portion of the shoe above the sole. The fourth step, assembles the shoe by stitching the pieces together and forming it over the last, or mold. The fifth step, fitting it onto the customer to ensure it is the correct size. The last step is where all the details come into play and the soles are placed in. He involves the customer in every step of the process.
The good thing about Gombosed soles is that they can be replaced, so the shoes are made to last.
Most importantly, when buying shoes at EuGo, they will be the only one and unique to the vision. Gombosed also makes custom bags and purses. He made a custom duffle bag with storage separators for a professional dancer in San Francisco.
“They can put their shoes here and snacks or whatever here and then this side pouch is for their laptop whatever they need, I can make it,” Gombosed said.
The bespoke shoe service takes around three to six months from concept to the final product. The cost? Shoes are around $4,500 on average but, as Gombosed explains it, customers are paying for the detail, craft and years it took him to get to this level of craftsmanship.
How it started
Gombosed used to walk to his grandfather’s workshop after school to watch him work.
“My grandfather was a great cobbler in Mongolia,” said Gombosed who added his grandfather was famous for his craft.
His mother, an architect and seamstress, made her own clothes and dresses. Gombosed said he always would help her and, for fun, he began designing dresses for her and his own trousers.
Gombosed followed in the footsteps of his father, a lawyer, and attended law school. Yet at some point in law school, he decided it wasn’t for him and pivoted. He never planned to be a cobbler but through his family he was about to find his calling. He decided if he wanted to continue the family cobbler business he would need a formal education in the craft.
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He went to school in London where he made connections with professional cobblers like Jon Lobb and Jimmy Choo. He worked for both part time and Gombosed said it was sort of like a paid internship but nothing permanent. Later, he would return to Mongolia because his family needed him, he opened his own shoe store his family still manages for him today.
In 2016, he decided to move to the United States. He worked in San Francisco under Frank Beneduci who specialized in custom footwear. The duo worked together for several years until COVID hit and Beneduci hung up his cobbler tools and retired.
His own shop
During the pandemic, Gombosed continued to workshop and create custom shoes out of his garage. In 2021, he opened EuGo, the art of shoemaking, on Broadway, the old location of the Broadway Shoe Repair store. He continues to repair shoes that he didn’t make which can range from $45 to $250 depending on what is needed.
More than a shoe store, EuGo is a place where customers can go to learn about the history of shoemaking. In the window, there is a step-by-step process of how shoes are made. In one of the glass cases, there is a set of shoes from the late 1800s Gombosed found at an antique store.
“I cleaned them up a bit and put them on display to show people this is an American thing as much as it is old and antique,” Gombosed said.
He wants to continue to educate the community about the dying craft.
“There are not many cobblers left,” Gombosed said.
At the window in the front of the shop, there is a print of the famous picture named, “lunch atop a skyscraper” by Charles C. Ebbets. The picture was taken in 1932 on the 69th floor of what is known today as the RCA building in Manhattan, New York.
Of all the things to absorb from the picture, Gombosed said these are the boots that built America.
The shop is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1323 Broadway, Burlingame.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 105
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