Jairo Cardenas, the owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., repairs a boot, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in …

Jairo Cardenas, the owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., repairs a boot, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in ...

Jairo Cardenas, the owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., repairs a boot, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Business at the shop, which Cardenas has run for 33 years, is down 75% compared with prior to the pandemic. Shoe repairs typically bring in more money than shines. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)