Bring it in. But read this first, because half of it we will hand back.
There is no charge for being told no, and we would rather tell you at the counter than after you have paid for a repair that was never going to hold.
Worth doing, nearly always
- Any welted shoe whose uppers are sound
- Heels of every kind, blocks and tips
- Boot zips and bag zips
- Straps, handles and hardware
- Belts, dog collars, tack, luggage corners
- Stretching, half a width
- Orthopaedic lifts and balancing
- Almost anything stitched rather than glued
None of these needs explaining. They are the ordinary work of the bench, they are quick, and they nearly always cost less than replacing the thing. The column beside this one is the one worth reading.
Not worth it, or not possible
- Cemented shoes under about eighty dollars newGlued construction, foam midsole, no stitch line. The repair costs more than the shoe and lasts a season. This is most of what people bring in.
- Uppers cracked through the flex pointThe crease across the toe is where the shoe bends every step. Once the leather has split there, nothing put underneath it helps.
- Running shoesThe midsole is the shoe and it cannot be replaced. We do not do them at all, for anybody, ever.
- Anything mould has been throughIt comes back. We will not take money for it.
- Colour changes on finished leatherDark to light is not a thing. Light to dark is, sometimes, and it is a different trade to ours.
- Fabric and mesh uppersWe can stitch a seam. We cannot make it look untouched, and on a pale shoe it will always show.
- The second repair of a bad first oneSometimes worth it, often not. Ask before the shoe leaves your hand at any other counter.
The rule underneath all of it
Look at where the sole meets the upper. If you can see a line of stitching running around the edge, the shoe was built to be repaired and it almost certainly should be. If the two are simply glued, it was built to be replaced, and no amount of skill at this bench changes that.
You can check this in a shop before you buy, which is the single most useful thing on this page and costs nothing.
Not sure? Ring 816 555 0162 and describe what you are holding. Where the stitching is, whether the crease has split, roughly what it cost new. That is enough for an answer over the phone about eight times in ten.
Last & Awl is an invented shop made to show a page design. Every price and claim above is illustrative.