Author Topic: Got my shoes repaired  (Read 3582 times)

Hotstreak

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Got my shoes repaired
« on: October 24, 2016, 02:03:00 PM »
It started raining recently, which means that the hole in my left shoe started to get annoying.  These are my work shoes which my employer requires to be fancy black leather.  I personally need them to be comfortable, since I walk in them several miles per day.  I went to the shop and looked at a new pair that met my requirements, and found they are $150!  No thanks I said, and I took them to the shoe repair to get new heels put on for $25.  These new heels should last until the front of the sole wears out and requires replacement, in 1-2 years. Time spent was minimal, since the cobbler is along my commute.   Savings: $125. 

The cobbler noticed that my black shiny shoes were actually turning a dull gray color, and offered to fix that for another $15.  I said no thanks and dug some shoe polish out of a box in my closet.  Price tag on it said $1.99, and I used about 1/3rd of the contents, or $0.66.  I used a trashed t-shirt to apply the polish & buff, cost $0.  I found an old "quick shine" I bought for $3.99 years ago (also still had the sticker on it) which has long since run out of the "shine" liquid, but served as a decent brush for a final polish for an additional cost of $0.  Savings: about $14.  Time: 10 minutes work, plus waiting for the polish to dry on, equals a rate of $84/hour.

Total savings: $139
Badassity: Moderate
Satisfaction level: High

RobFIRE

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2016, 12:25:46 AM »
Great result!

For expensive shoes getting them repaired once or twice can certainly be worth it.

If later on you're looking for replacement shoes and are willing to buy used, I've bought on eBay a couple of pairs of good condition used work shoes that had just been resoled for less than the cost of having them resoled myself!

stashgrower

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2016, 08:49:43 PM »
Good outcome! I am a fan of re-heeling. Currently pondering which shoes to mend.

expatartist

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2016, 09:12:57 PM »
Good on you! When I look for work-appropriate shoes now, a primary factor is: will these be worth repairing? Otherwise, I don't buy.

Kitsune

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2016, 08:17:50 AM »
Re-heeling and re-soling is totally worth it when you like the shoes.

I'm currently in mourning... my favorite look-amazing-and-comfortable-for-walking boots are on their last legs (aka: there are currently 2 holes in the sole of the right foot) and the cobbler warned me last time that it was the last time they could be re-soled since there wasn't enough leather left to stitch a new sole onto them another time.

Original cost of the boots: 80$. 17 years ago. And they've been re-soled and re-heeled 4 times since then, at 20$/time. I do a lot of walking in these boots...

Mtngrl

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2016, 12:29:13 PM »
I live in a fairly rural area, still I was astonished to find NO shoe repair places within 50 miles. I found an online listing for one, but when I called, I was told the guy had gone out of business the year before. Made me so sad.

stashgrower

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2016, 01:42:07 AM »
wow, Kitsune, hope you find your next fave boot.

Just left shoes at the cobbler for resoling @ $22.

Hotstreak

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2016, 01:39:43 PM »
I live in a fairly rural area, still I was astonished to find NO shoe repair places within 50 miles. I found an online listing for one, but when I called, I was told the guy had gone out of business the year before. Made me so sad.

That's unfortunate!  My guy is the only one within several hundred miles, I consider myself lucky to have access to him.  Cobbling seems like a labor intensive business, and the margins can't be great.  People are so willing to buy a new pair of shoes, prices need to be low or else the cobbler can't attract business.  I don't think anybody grows up dreaming of one day opening their own shoe repair shop, and I'm not aware of any formal schooling to do this - so there are also obstacles to starting!


wow, Kitsune, hope you find your next fave boot.

Just left shoes at the cobbler for resoling @ $22.

Nice!  That's a great feeling.  When do you get them back?  Mine took 3 weeks to complete (most of that time waiting in queue).

Kitsune

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2016, 01:55:19 PM »
I live in a fairly rural area, still I was astonished to find NO shoe repair places within 50 miles. I found an online listing for one, but when I called, I was told the guy had gone out of business the year before. Made me so sad.

That's unfortunate!  My guy is the only one within several hundred miles, I consider myself lucky to have access to him.  Cobbling seems like a labor intensive business, and the margins can't be great.  People are so willing to buy a new pair of shoes, prices need to be low or else the cobbler can't attract business.  I don't think anybody grows up dreaming of one day opening their own shoe repair shop, and I'm not aware of any formal schooling to do this - so there are also obstacles to starting

I have a friend who had a cobbler shop for a while. He discovered that, if you have leather-working skills, the profit margins are way, way better doing custom leather work for people who enjoy ... Specific extracurricular activities. Let's say.

So he quadrupled his business that way, and now doesn't really do shoe re-soleing.

stashgrower

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2016, 07:47:45 PM »

Nice!  That's a great feeling.  When do you get them back?  Mine took 3 weeks to complete (most of that time waiting in queue).

Today, not long at all :)

Car Jack

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2016, 12:16:20 PM »
I've got 2 words for you......

Shoe Goo

The stuff has saved me so much money, I can't even.  I last picked up a tube at Dick's Sporting Goods along with a 4 pound dumb bell because I had a $10 gift card they sent me.  Anyways, the Shoe Goo is like $6 or so.  I brought it home to fix 3 sets of sneakers that I wear all the time.  Some black suede leather skate shoes that I wear for work.  The back of the heel area on both had worn through.  Some shoe goo on the offending areas, then leaving them upside down for a day is all they needed.  Instant new partial sole. 

Pair #2 is some Reboks where the sole was pulling away from the boot of the shoe.  I stuffed both with newspapers to keep them pushing against the sole.  Then put the shoe goo between the top of the sole on both sides and duct taped all around to hold them together.  A day later, untape and perfectly bonded soles.

Pair #3 are some I inherited from my dad when he passed away in 2007.  Some Asics running shoes.  The boot part was pulling away in a couple places near where the sole joins.  Again with the newspaper inside, shoe goo under the offending boot pieces (there is another layer underneath that's in tact) and duct tape the assembly.  Yet another pair of shoes.  I'm wearing these right now as I have no customers to visit today.  Perfect for my hour long walk at lunch time.

Still plenty of Shoe Goo left in the tube to do another 10 pairs.

Another tale that worked.....my 16 year old son went to his first semi-formal.  We bought him a suit at Burlington Coat Factory but he still needed shoes.  Luckily, he wears the same size shoe as I do, so he wore my "interview" shoes.  Leather something or other that I picked up maybe 8 years ago at the Rockport outlet with a coupon.  Yay for not having to buy shoes for a kid who will outgrow them before ever having to wear them again.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2016, 12:18:54 PM by Car Jack »

Diniecita

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2016, 11:00:15 PM »
Good on you! When I look for work-appropriate shoes now, a primary factor is: will these be worth repairing? Otherwise, I don't buy.

I agree so much. I only buy shoes that can be repaired now. Which means that I don't buy a lot of shoes anymore, but really when your shoes are like old friends you don't want to replace them anyways.

I no longer work in an office, but I still wear my 'office shoes' to church so I suppose they are now my 'church shoes' and date night shoes.
Now if I could just get some tennies that didn't have to be replaced every few years...

o2bfree

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2016, 04:42:09 PM »
I have a pair of black Mary Jane's and a pair of boots that I've worn for about 20 years, mostly Fall through Spring. They've been re-heeled/re-soled I don't know how many times. The Mary Jane's have a split on one seam that I've had repaired twice now. Not sure it's repairable again. It'll be a sad day when I have to part with them, they're like comfy old friends!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Got my shoes repaired
« Reply #13 on: November 16, 2016, 07:58:28 AM »
I have shoes at the shoe repair right now - the back of one had the stitching come out and the leather wore a bit, so he is redoing that seam on both, so they match.  And both heels are getting new lifts.  $30Can but worth it, they are the only heels I can wear for more than 20 minutes without pain.  Sshoe repair means a drive to Ottawa, there is no-one decent local.

These days (say the last 20 years) every cobbler I have taken shoes to has been an immigrant (from Europe/Asia).  They bring that skill with them, no-one seems to be training for it here.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!