Longtime employee to take over Savannah staple amid uncertainty

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Richard Williams is set to take over Crazy Jack Shoe Repair, keeping nearly 50 years of tradition alive at Savannah’s longtime shoe repair shop.

WTOC told you about the uncertain future the shop faced in November. Either Williams took it over, or the shop would close.

Williams, who is a master cobbler and has worked at the shop for 37 years, said the work has become second nature to him.

“It’s almost like breathing,” Williams said.

Williams said he was looking for direction when he started working at the shop. His brother was a master cobbler at the shoe repair shop and Richard followed him around.

He tells WTOC the shop’s founder, Jack Gilmore, took Williams under his wing.

“Jack said, if he gonna be here, he might as well work. And it just stuck, you know,” Williams said.

New ownership after founder’s death

Gilmore passed away in 2021 and his daughter Terri Painter took it over soon thereafter. Painter told WTOC in November she had to step away due to back problems. She wanted to keep her father’s legacy alive by passing down to Williams.

When we talked with him in November, Williams wasn’t sure if he would take over or not. He is now.

“After 37 years of doing the work, now I’m in the forefront,” Williams said.

Williams said walking away would have been the wrong choice and he can now push the shop forward.

“I want to start doing the stuff nobody else do. Nobody else can do. You know, so that’s my goal,” Williams said.

Williams plans to get new equipment to fix shoes he can’t repair now. He said Timberland boots are something he’s targeting in particular.

Through changes like that, he said won’t stray far from tradition and plans to keep the shop’s name.

“I plan on keeping the name because, like you said, the name is a staple,” Williams said.

Williams said he wants to mentor someone new and eventually pass the business on to them. He hopes to keep the Savannah staple alive for another half century.