Saving Those Penny, Loafers:
Tips For Shoe Upkeep & Repair

These days, everyone’s trying to do more with their possessions, including shoes. When Americans were living high on the hog of easy credit, they were more likely to follow Carrie Bradshaw, and take any excuse to buy a new pair. Now, increasing numbers of Americans are choosing to repair and maintain the shoes they already love, rather than expanding their shoe wardrobe. If you’d like to join those ranks, keep reading for tips on how to maintain and repair your designer shoes.

Maintain your shoes and sustain their condition

The importance of shoe maintenance faded from the American psyche with the rise of inexpensive, industrial manufacturing. For instance, in the 1930s, more than 120,000 cobblers thrived in the United States. Americans then were as familiar with their shoe repairperson as modern Americans are with their auto mechanics. Shoes were expensive, so if consumers could shine, rub, and repair their way to long-lasting shoes, they did.

Today, only about 7,500 cobblers exist in America. The advent of inexpensive factory manufacturing devalued shoes, and consumers began simply throwing or giving away old pairs. Cobblers were in lower demand, and many closed their doors.

Fortunately, the art of shoe maintenance has not been forgotten, and cobblers are still repairing shoes in most American towns and cities. Those surviving cobblers will tell you that personal maintenance is the first and most important way to keep your shoes in repair. Here are a few tips to help you keep your shoes in good condition, so that you won’t have to repair or replace them as often.

Get to know major shoe balms. You should keep waterproofing solution on hand for your new shoes, to be applied before exposing them to the elements. If shoes have already been worn outside, apply a cleanser before waterproofing. Certain materials like leather require special cleansers. Polishing shoes isn’t just a way to add a bounce to your step—it’s also a great way to keep them clean and cared for. Suede brushes and cleaners may be purchased, but it’s just as effective to brush your suede shoes with a clean toothbrush.

Let your shoes dry out. Did you know that you have more than 250,000 sweat glands on each foot? Those abundant sweat glands pump moisture into your socks and shoes. It’s important to let shoes dry out in between each wearing, not only to prevent foot fungus, but also to protect the inside of your shoes. To allow proper drying, try not to wear the same pair two days in a row. The best way to dry out shoes is to put cedar shoetrees inside them on their days off. Cedar balances the chemicals of sweat, and shoetrees also keep the inside of your shoes smooth and properly stretched.

Even with careful maintenance, shoes will need repairs periodically. Get to know your neighborhood’s cobbler, and don’t be afraid to ask him or her about the best ways to take care of your favorite pairs.

Which shoes to have repaired

Only a few decades ago, cobblers were nearly as ubiquitous as the neighborhood family restaurant. Today, many people aren’t sure what a cobbler is, and very few actually take their shoes in for repair.

As consumers try to stretch their dollars by taking care of their stuff better, they are also practicing “green” ownership. The longer a consumer can use and reuse the same products, the fewer materials end up in landfills, and the lower the demand for (often cheap and plastic) replacement products. In fact, the Shoe Service Industry of America, the trade association for the shoe repair industry, estimates that its members keep 62 million pairs of shoes out of the landfill each year.

Although it’s economically and environmentally smart to take your weary shoes to a repairman, or cobbler, it’s not easy to know which shoes to repair, and which to recycle or donate. So, here’s a list of types of designer shoes that cobblers can repair, along with common fixes:

Boots. Many boots are made of leather, which is an ideal material for repair. Leather is tough, but since it’s also soft enough to sew through, it may be torn out and replaced. Western style boots are designed to be refitted with new heels periodically. Cobblers may replace heels on other types of boots as well. Broken zippers or clasps can also be replaced. And as a bonus, ask if your cobbler to shine or treat your boots’ uppers, to have them shine like new.

Heels and Pumps. Your favorite career and dress shoes can also enjoy long, eventful lives with consistent upkeep and repair. Cobblers may strengthen the soles of more delicate dress shoes with a specially cut half-sole of leather or thin plastic. Sometimes called heel or sole protectors, these extra protective layers for the bottom of the shoe provide extra traction and extend the life of the shoe. Cobblers can also replace zippers, buttons, clasps, and straps on pumps, along with replacing or shortening the heels.

As you can see, you can save a lot of money by questioning whether you can repair your old shoes before buying a new pair. And when you do splurge, choose well-made shoes that won’t fall apart after one season.

~Colleen Welch, 2009