The Cobbler or the One Where Jeff Gets His Shoes Fixed

Yeah, so it's been raining for days. And on my way to the University this morning through the puddles and the muck, I about did a header. I knew that my shoes were a bit to smooth to trust them, but I only have one pair of black shoes - and everyone knows that Russian men wear as much black as possible. (quick survey of students shows that of 50 men, 47 are wearing black coats - not exaggerating if you're wondering).

So, with the help of my trusty friend Sasha, I found the local cobbler. Turns out he's actually in my building. So I took my shoes and entertained the ladies at the cobbler shop. I was their first American visitor! They were very patient, kind, and frankly… fascinated. It was fun to speak with them and they were very encouraging. Because, well, let's face it - talking about shoes is some specialized vocabulary. I don't know how to say sole, heel, shine, traction, slip or anything like that. So it came out more like: my shoes are smooth. I don't want them to be smooth. Can you make them not smooth?