Whether a shoe is worth bringing in is decided underneath it, usually by one seam. Most of what gets thrown out was fixable, and some of what gets carried in here is finished. Below are five pairs that look the same in the hand and are not. Each one names the place to look.
Five pairs, and the one place to look
01 The edge
Is the sole stitched on, or glued on?
A
A row of stitching runs the whole way round where the sole meets the upper. That strip is a welt, and the sole is a separate part.
B
No stitching anywhere, just a glued seam, and it has started to open at the toe. The sole is stuck to the upper rather than sewn to it.
Where to look The outer edge of the sole, all the way round, in daylight. Reading glasses help.
A Resole
We cut the old stitching, lift the sole off and sew a new one to the same welt. It can be done again after that.
$85 to $130 · about a week
B Re-glue, once
We can clean the seam and bond it again and it will hold for a while. We will say that out loud rather than let you assume otherwise.
$25 to $40 · two days
02 The heel
Is it the lift, or the block underneath it?
A
The black rubber is slanted at the outside back corner. The stacked leather under it is still square and tight.
B
The rubber is gone and the leather lifts underneath are crushed and splaying. You have been walking on the block itself.
Where to look Stand both shoes on a table and look at the backs of the heels from behind, at eye level.
A New top lifts
Two rubber lifts, nailed, trimmed and edged. The cheapest thing anyone ever does for a pair of shoes, and having it done on time is what keeps a heel out of the second state.
$28 to $45 · same week
B Rebuild the block
The heel goes back together in leather layers, pressed and trimmed, then takes a new lift. Still well worth doing on a shoe you like.
$70 to $95 · about a week
03 The sole
Worn thin, or worn through?
A
Rubbed smooth and shiny at the ball. The grain is gone but the leather is continuous.
B
A hole, with cork showing inside it. Water has been getting in, so the insole may have gone soft as well.
Where to look Hold the sole up to a window and look for daylight through it. Then press the inside of the shoe under the ball with your thumb and feel whether it gives.
A Half sole
New leather or rubber across the front half, stitched to the welt, edge dressed to match. Bring it in at this stage and nothing else needs doing.
$65 to $95 · about a week
B Half sole and insole
The same work plus repair inside. If the insole has gone soft, we tell you the number before we start rather than after.
$95 to $150 · a week to ten days
04 The upper
Creased, or cracked through?
A
Deep creases across the flex point and a dull, scuffed finish. The leather itself is unbroken.
B
The creases have opened into splits and the lining shows through them. The grain has broken, not just aged.
Where to look Bend the shoe at the ball with both hands and watch what the creases do as they open.
A Clean, feed and recolour
Stripped, fed, recoloured and finished by hand. It will not take the creases out. It will make the shoe look cared for instead of neglected.
$35 to $55 · three days
B Nothing
A crack through the grain does not close, and a patch on the vamp of a dress shoe is visible from across a room. We will not sell you one.
We turn this away
05 The unit
Two parts, or one?
A
A lugged outsole sewn to a leather midsole with heavy thread. Two parts, joined by something we can undo.
B
One moulded foam and rubber unit fused straight onto the upper. There is no seam because it was never assembled.
Where to look Run a fingernail along the join between sole and upper. If there is nothing to catch on, there is nothing to open.
A New sole unit
The old unit comes off and a new one goes on the same welt. The unit is ordered in, which is why this one takes longer than the rest.
$110 to $180 · about two weeks
B Uppers only
We can restitch a torn upper, replace eyelets and clean it. The moulded sole cannot be replaced, here or anywhere.
$20 to $45 · three days
Nothing leaves the building
A sole stitcher, a finisher and a press, all three older than the shop, and one bench. Work is not sent out to a plant and it is not sent out of state. If you want to see the machine your shoes went through, ask at the counter and we will walk you round the back.
It also means the person who quotes you is the person who does the work, so the number you are given at the counter is the number.
What we turn away
Leather cracked through the grain. It does not close, and a patch on a dress shoe shows.
Moulded sole units. There is no seam to open, so there is nothing to sew a new sole to.
Work that costs more than the shoe is worth to you. We say the number first, then you decide.
Anything needing a part we cannot get. We would rather hand it back today than hold it for a month.
Roughly one pair in eight goes back over the counter unrepaired. That is the whole reason the rest of this page is worth reading.
The counter
Where4412 Brookmount Ave Kansas City, MO 64110
HoursTuesday to Friday, 8:00 to 5:30 Saturday, 9:00 to 1:00 Closed Sunday and Monday
TurnaroundMost work goes out in five to eight working days. Heels and lifts are usually the same week.
Bringing them inNo appointment. Both shoes, not one. We quote at the counter with the shoe in hand, never over the phone.
Every price on this page is illustrative and stated as a range. The real one is given with your shoe on the counter.
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