Who knew that a pair of boots could make us so emotional?
On the latest episode of , a man called Malcolm entered the barn with a special request to have a pair of old boots restored.
The shoes in question belonged to his late father Jack, who was a prisoner of war during World War II, and wore the footwear during the hard times that he endured.
As Malcolm told his father’s story , he became emotional and choked up, reading from the late veteran’s diary that he kept while being kept captive for five years, before he was freed by the American forces.
Jack was captured in Norway before ever making his way to a battlefield, but kept writing in his diary religiously.
He suffered starvation and freezing conditions, but was able to bring his boots with him when he was finally able to return home.
When Malcolm brought the boots into The Repair Shop’s barn, it was clear they needed some tender loving care, with the material moth-bitten, the heel worn down and the stitching falling to pieces.
Luckily, cobbler Dean Westmoreland was up to the job, beginning by wiping away the 70-year build-up of dirt before setting to work on the required repairs.
Malcolm explained at the start that he didn’t want the boots to look brand new, but just spruced up – and Dean certainly proved he had the task in the bag when the result was revealed.
Several viewers admitted the transformation had left them emotional, with one person tweeting: ‘As long as the man is happy that’s all that matters and now the tears start flowing.’
‘I’m watching #therepairshop and I’m crying again over a pair of bloody boots!!’ someone else admitted.
Praising the cobbler, another Twitter user wrote: ‘Item I’m getting emotional over this week? A pair of boots! ? But what a story they held & Dean did such an incredible job with them!’
Another praiseworthy message read: ‘@BBCOne #Congratulations on another perfect episode of #therepairshop – boots, sculpture, bench and microscope… fantastic!’
Last week’s episode of the programme proved a heart-wrenching watch, as a married couple were presented with a .
Husband and wife Luke and Emese’s son David died when he was just five months old, having been born prematurely with his twin brother Joshua.
The couple had brought a clay imprint of the footprints of David, which was placed alongside his photograph.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
