On a tip from Denny Garbuio, from John Fluevog Shoes at 1697 Haight St., we heard that Carlos Lopez, the 80-year-old owner of Haight Street Shoe Repair, could be retiring.

Carlos moved to the United States almost 20 years ago and began apprenticing at Haight Street Shoe Repair, where he assumed ownership of the business when the previous owner died. Since then, he's become a fixture on the street, and an emblem to the neighborhood of dedicated craftsmanship.

We talked to Carlos yesterday to ask him about his plans to retire.

"Yes, yes," he said, "80 years is too long. I'm gonna retire."

When, exactly? He said not just yet. He hasn't decided on a date, he said, because it'll take him some time to sell off the machinery in the shop.

Carlos said he would have to sell off equipment slowly and wind down the business, rather than simply retire, because a changeover would up the space's current $4,000 a month rent, and the business can't move into a comparable space in the area for anything near that.

According to Carlos, the cobbler has been at 1614 Haight St. between 90 and 94 years.

In an email to Hoodline, Fluevog's Garbuio said, "We were really upset. This is a neighborhood issue. Cobblers are a dying art form. We live in a disposable world, but Carlos represents a time when you bought better quality and held onto it. We will miss him so much!"

Not yet, though: the shop will close for a week starting May 2nd, but that, Carlos said, is just a vacation. "I need a vacation," he said. "I haven't had a vacation in four years."

So if you have shoes to repair, there's still time to stop by and get the benefit of Carlos' years of experience.