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Pope Francis' ordinary shoes bring pride to his Argentine neighborhood — and his cobbler
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A photograph of the late Pope Francis sits in the window of the Muglia shoe store alongside the model of shoes that Jorge Bergoglio used in the Flores neighborhood where he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, April 24, 2025. - photo by AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The man who would become Pope Francis always bought his shoes in the same small store. And now, the remarkably ordinary footwear that surprised and charmed millions has brought pride to his old Buenos Aires neighborhood — and his cobbler. The simple black shoes — a stark contrast to the flashy ruby red slippers of Francis' predecessor, former Pope Benedict XVI — are among the pope's personal effects that have captured attention as his death this week triggers an outpouring of emotion around the Roman Catholic world.