This 47-year-old upcycles sneakers in New York City

👁 10K views 📅 Jul 6, 2025 Watch on YouTube ↗

When Sung Roh looks at an old pair of sneakers, she sees an opportunity to be creative, solve a problem and help someone — and she feels joy.

Roh runs a cobbling and shoe upcycling business called Cobbler Bushwick Co., which she started from her basement in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 2022.

As a cobbler, Roh restores broken-down shoes to their original condition. As an upcycler, she can add creative flair to the repair job by stitching on leather patches or adding a new color of soles.

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