My Shoe Hospital

7 Reasons You Should Go Old School And Use A Shoe Cobbler

Epic — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 15:07:29 +0000

Footwear is incredibly important. Your shoes impact your posture, how you walk, and how you present yourself.

Why not take care of something that’s responsible for so much?

This is where a cobbler comes in ― and no, we’re not talking about a dessert.

There are a lot of benefits to taking your shoes in to someone who practices the time-honored profession of shoe repair. It may seem antiquated, but trust us: Your feet and wallet will thank you for the extra care.

Here’s why a cobbler is the best:

1. Repairing your shoes can save you serious cash, especially if your shoe collection is pricey.

If you spend a ton of your hard-earned money on creating an awesome shoe collection, you’re going to want to preserve that investment. A little known fact is that better quality shoes can be resoled anywhere from three to ten times. So, ladies, those stilettos? Even if they’ve been shredded from weddings or long nights out, the soles can probably be swapped out.

The wildcard on most shoes is the upper part, under the ball of your foot. If the uppers get wrecked ― which usually happens on a more cheaply made shoe —those babies are likely a goner.

In general, most cobblers will tell you that if a repair costs less than half the price of new shoes, it’s more cost-effective to just repair the old ones.

2. You’re helping the environment.

Shoes are difficult to recycle because they’re often made of different plastics, fibers and other materials. By repairing them, you’re keeping them out of landfills.

If you have to trash your shoes, donating to charity shops like Goodwill or Salvation Army is a good bet, according to TreeHugger. Even if the shoes are in poor condition, those shops will send the items that can’t be sold (in the U.S. or other countries) to textile recyclers. Nike also features a reuse-a-shoe service, recycling footwear of any brand.

3. You’re likely supporting a small business.

Many cobblers are small business owners and have been running their shops for years. They help bolster the communities they’re a part of and they can offer customized, personal service where larger stores can’t.

4. Even your new shoes can get soled to prevent damage from ever occurring in the first place.

Cobblers offer (seriously underused) preventive care. They can put rubber soles on the bottoms of new, leather-soled shoes to keep them in good condition.

“Leather wears down very quickly,” David Mesquita, owner of Leather Spa in New York City, told Woman’s Day. “Thin rubber soles, which are available in many colors, will blend right in with your heels or flats. Not only will they prevent the leather from wearing down, but they’ll also keep water from seeping into the soles, which can travel to the upper part of the shoe and create even more damage.”

Cobblers can also put on inserts that’ll ease the pain of a tight strap or heel, heel grips on the bottom of treadless shoes, and lifts on the bottom of low-to-the-ground shoes that are susceptible to fast damage.

5. Cobblers enable you to snag the gotta-have-them pair of shoes that are maybe a little too small or too big.

Cobblers have stretching machines that can increase length and width. They can even stretch the front of a shoe where it squishes your toes. For shoes that are too big, they can insert thicker soles, tongue pads or heel grips.

For those having issues with boots fitting their calves, cobblers can also take those in or let them out a bit.

Despite all of this wiggle room, be cognizant of materials when thinking of getting them stretched or stuffed with inserts. If a shoe is leather or suede, odds are good you can stretch them a bit. Patent leather or other plastic-y materials? Move on to another pair, friend.

6. Cobblers will make your shoes capable of weathering the weather.

You can buy a water repellent for your shoes in most big box stores, but a cobbler can also apply the stuff if you’re not down to DIY. Spraying your suede or leather shoes will keep the elements from ruining the inside of your home where you spray it.

7. Your feet will be more comfortable.

When you break in a pair of shoes and they mold to your feet like a second skin, they sort of become your go-tos. Why not put in some dough to keep those babies in your rotation? Or, a better example, what about those high-priced shoes that make you feel like a million bucks and look great? Taking care of those shoes instead of hoping that lightning strikes twice is a much better bet.

The post 7 Reasons You Should Go Old School And Use A Shoe Cobbler appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Santa Monica, California

Epic — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 11:00:58 +0000

Whether you’re hiking in the mountains of Santa Monica, California, making a fashion spree on the Third Street Promenade, or out boating on the beautiful blue Pacific, your shoes are sure to be worn out under the California summer sun. But instead of tossing out your go-to pair of kicks, have you ever considered repairing them? It’s a simple as three easy steps: order, ship, repair!

Shoe Repair Services We Offer in Santa Monica, CA:

Shoe repair is an environmentally friendly service and also helps people save time and money in the long run. Whether your favorite pair of boat shoes are worn down from cruising on a day out in Santa Monica’s California waters or the soles of your expensive high heels are damaged from wearing them around the clubs of downtown Santa Monica, California, consider custom mail-in shoe repair services before you buy a new pair to replace them!

We know that the shoes left by Alex’s Shoe Repair will be hard to fill, and we want to extend our deepest respect for the legacy Ygnacio Gaona left. He will be dearly missed.

The post Shoe Repair in Santa Monica, California appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Boulder, Colorado

Epic — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 10:22:56 +0000

Living in Boulder Colorado comes with the added perk of being surrounded by open prairies and beautiful mountain views. With 151 miles of hiking trails open to the public, Boulder, Colorado is a hiking paradise! The Foothills of the Rocky Mountains lie to the west of the city with wooded, winding paths. To the east of Boulder, Colorado is the serene, open vistas of the Eastern Plains of Colorado.

The terrain of Boulder, Colorado can muck up even the most tried and true hiking footwear. Don’t throw them away, let My Shoe Hospital fix your boots before you hit the trails this summer! We know how hard it is to find a pair of shoes that fits your comfort, style, and fitness needs. So, why not let our shoe repair craftsmen bring your favorite pair back to life?

My Shoe Hospital is the world’s largest shoe repair company, providing mail-in shoe repair to Boulder, Colorado and anywhere else in the United States. Not only do our shoe repair craftsmen repair hiking boots, we also repair women’s and men’s casual shoes, high heels, dress shoes, fashion boots and work boots. Mail-in shoe repair is as easy as 3 steps. Order online, ship, and repair!

The trails are calling your name! Give your boots some TLC before you start your hike. Shoe repair saves you time and money. Start your shoe repair today!

The post Shoe Repair in Boulder, Colorado appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Epic — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 13:17:50 +0000

It is uncommon for a person living in Tulsa, Oklahoma to not own a pair of western-style boots. Boots are a huge fashion statement in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area whether you are attending an amazing country concert, walking around a crowded Tulsa festival for the day, enjoying an evening of horseback riding, or doing labor on your ranch.

A day spent in Tulsa, Oklahoma is sure to demolish a person’s favorite pair of boots. Before you decide to throw your favorite pair of boots away, consider mail-in shoe repair from My Shoe Hospital. Our shoe repair craftsmen can make any brand and style of shoes look new again through convenient online shoe repair ordering to and from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mail-in shoe repair is a convenient way to get your boots and shoe repair. It is simply done in three easy steps. Order online, ship, and repair. Voila! Your shoes will be shipped back to you in Tulsa, Oklahoma looking brand new! You will be ready to take on another day in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

My Shoe Hospital is the world’s largest shoe repair company who provides mail-in shoe repair to Tulsa, Oklahoma and anywhere else in the United States. If you live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, you probably own a pair of expensive western-style boots, riding boots, or cowboy boots. Our expert shoe cobblers can repair your favorite boots and make them look like new. Not only do our shoe repair craftsmen repair western-style boots, we also repair women’s and men’s casual shoes, high heels, dress shoes, fashion boots, and work boots.

The post Shoe Repair in Tulsa, Oklahoma appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Epic — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 14:54:04 +0000

You haven’t truly lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin if you haven’t danced for a week long straight during the annual Summerfest music festival, toured all of the famous breweries, trekked through a few of the 140 parks, or survived a full winter. Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin can, and will, completely demolish anyone’s shoes.

Before you decide to throw your favorite pair of shoes away, consider mail-in shoe repair from My Shoe Hospital. Our shoe repair craftsmen can make any brand and style of shoes look new again through convenient online shoe repair ordering to and from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mail-in shoe repair is as easy as 3 steps. Order online, ship, and repair. Voila!

Whether you broke a heel from dancing on picnic tables at Summerfest or your dog bit through your favorite biker boots that you wanted to wear to the Harley Davidson museum, the team at My Shoe Hospital has the shoe repair expertise needed to bring your shoes back to life in no time. Don’t worry about leaving your house to find a new pair of shoes during a godawful blizzard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Shoe repair saves you time and money. Start your repair today!

The post Shoe Repair in Milwaukee, Wisconsin appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Memphis, Tennessee

Epic — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:36:15 +0000

Everyone who lives in Memphis, Tennessee owns a pair of western-style boots. If you don’t, surely you’ve thought about buying some. And let’s face it, boots aren’t cheap. When boots or shoes get damaged or worn down, most people decide to either buy new shoes after a couple of years or Google search DIY ways of repairing their shoes themselves.

Shoe repair is an environmentally friendly service and also helps people save time and money in the long run. Whether your favorite pair of cowboy boots become worn down from linedancing on a night out in downtown Memphis, Tennessee or the soles of your shoes are damaged from wearing them everyday, consider shoe repair services before you buy a new pair to replace them.

My Shoe Hospital is the world’s largest shoe repair company who provides mail-in shoe repair to Memphis, Tennessee and anywhere else in the United States. If you live in Memphis, Tennessee, you probably own a pair of expensive western-style boots, riding boots, or cowboy boots. Our shoe cobblers can repair your favorite boots and make them look like new. Not only do our shoe repair craftsmen repair western-style boots, we also repair women’s and men’s casual shoes, high heels, dress shoes, fashion boots, and work boots. It’s as simple as 3 easy steps. Order, ship, repair. Voila! Your shoes will be shipped back to you in Memphis, Tennessee looking brand new.

The post Shoe Repair in Memphis, Tennessee appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Cobblers save your sole, and cash to boot

Epic — Fri, 27 May 2016 16:08:29 +0000

This article originally appeared on SFGate on May 3, 2009 by Jen Burke Anderson

Between San Francisco’s car-less lifestyles, steep hills and sidewalks in ill repair, we hoof it hard in this town, and our shoes show it.

With a recent survey reporting that 49 percent of Americans are cutting back on apparel purchases, it may be only a matter of time before San Franciscan shoe worshipers learn to mend, not spend.

For the truly shoe savvy, a relationship with a trusted cobbler’s shop has always been money in the bank. These neighborhood institutions have staying power, can keep you looking smart for the right price and offer a range of services that might surprise you.

According to Randy Lipson of the Shoe Service Institute of America, most of America’s estimated 7,000 cobblers are reporting that business has been up by 10 to 40 percent since September. In San Francisco, the fortunes of individual shoe repair businesses can vary widely depending on location, clientele and other factors.

Carlos Lopez owns Haight Street Shoe Repair, which, like many neighborhood shops, can trace its roots back to the 1920s. Lopez, who frequently looks up from his work to exchange a smile and a wave with passers-by on the street, estimates that his business has been down by as much as 40 percent since December. About 60 to 80 pairs have not been picked up or paid for.

Though business is rebounding now, says Gino Gentile of Anthony’s Shoe Service near Union Square, retail layoffs in the early months of this year sent shock waves through the business’ customer base. When Macy’s shed more than 1,000 jobs in early February, “we felt it.”

But Al Stanley of Pioneer Renewer in the Castro reports that business has been steady to crazy. “Lately, I’ve been getting so much work, it’s been snowballing,” he says.

It doesn’t cost anything to take a project into a cobbler’s shop for assessment. Besides polishing and heel replacement, they can add or alter straps, perform dye jobs and color repair (even on metallic material), adapt shoes to fit unique or troubled feet, stretch and waterproof shoes. They can also repair luggage, backpacks, umbrellas, motorcycle gear, zippers, buckles, belts and sporting equipment such as baseball gloves.

One service that’s been hot lately, says Gentile, is the application of sole protectors, which can add one to four years to the life of new shoes.

One of the problems that has plagued the shoe service industry is its aging customer base. According to Lipson, people ages 20 to 35 are least aware of cobblers’ services because they typically buy cheap shoes and throw them out.

But that may be changing. A recent Pew Reseach Center report confirms that young adults are more likely than other groups to be hurt by the recession, and the rising popularity of vintage clothing stores shows a willingness to reuse, repair and rethink existing clothing. Lopez, the cobbler of choice for stores such as Fluevog, reports that 75 to 80 percent of his customers are young people.

For those new to shoe repair, however, there may be an aesthetic disconnect. Trendy shoe boutiques flaunt chic, high-tech interiors. A reputable cobbler’s shop, on the other hand, may have country-western music, the cheerful disarray of craftspeople hard at work and machinery that’s older than your parents.

But don’t be fooled. Cobblers can work magic on your Jimmy Choos or your Prada bag.

I went to Pioneer when the straps on my oversize leather bag began coming apart. I was worried about how it could be fixed because the bag had unique features like mottled black mock leather, burnished-brass studs and delicate white contrast stitching. When I got my bag back, it was transformed. The cheap, cracking straps had been replaced by double layers of strong black leather with heavy industrial stitching and brass studs that matched the bag beautifully. Ironically, the superior craftsmanship and materials used for the repair may outlast the factory-made bag itself. The cost? $40.

Lipson isn’t surprised. “Everything (cobblers use) is better than new shoe material,” he says. Gentile, winner of the shoe industry’s 2006 Grand Silver Cup for shoe repair, uses bark pit tanned leather from Germany for his repairs.

“The consumer needs to give us the opportunity,” says Lipson. “Too many say what you said: ‘I didn’t think (the repair) could be done.’ ”

“People are protecting their investments,” says Gentile with a smile, “and this is where we come in.”

The post Cobblers save your sole, and cash to boot appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Saving Animals In the Leather Industry Through Shoe Repair

Epic — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:32:08 +0000

Many applaud us for our efforts towards a positive customer service experience, but it’s important to note how our efforts benefit animals. Each year over 1 billion animals are slaughtered for their leather. At My Shoe Hospital we do over a half a million shoe repairs every year. For every 18 shoe repairs, another animal is saved. In the last decade alone our shoe repairs have saved over 280,000 animals marked for slaughter.

My Shoe Hospital prides itself for being the shoe repair solution for the conservation-conscious individuals who still love the look and feel of their leather shoes. By choosing shoe repair, you are keeping demand for leather down and saving more animals.

Also, it’s important to note that many women’s shoes often contain no leather. Instead of animal products they often rely on cloth and rubber. So a woman’s shoe repair will often not require any additional leather and no animals are needed to keep her looking sharp.

In addition to cutting down the amount of leather harvested from animals, we also use only vegetable tanned leather from Medina Torres for our shoe repairs. Vegetable tanned leather is the old-world, environmentally friendly way of producing leather that utilizes tannic acids naturally occurring in some plant species. This ensures there are no added chemicals used on the leather that compromise conservation efforts.

The reality is that leather is too versatile for us not to use it. Instead we focus on repairing existing leather products by using a small amount of leather. Through shoe repair, we’re keeping thousands of animals alive and c ontributing to the 62 million pairs of shoes kept out of landfills each year.

So instead of increasing demand for animals, why not consider getting a shoe repair for your favorite pair of wingtips? Help us help the animals and keep the skyrocketing demand for leather down through shoe repairs at My Shoe Hospital.

The post Saving Animals In the Leather Industry Through Shoe Repair appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in Palm Beach, Florida

Epic — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 11:54:13 +0000

Shoe repair shops are closing in Palm Beach, but that doesn’t mean you have to go without quality shoe repair. Start your shoe repair today with our revolutionary mail-in shoe repair service whether you’re in Palm Beach or any other Florida location.

Our cobblers will bring the life back to your shoes so you can start turning heads on the Palm Beach boardwalks all over again. Do you have salt damage from the Palm Beach waters? Our cobbler service will fix that right up and you never have to leave your home!

Don’t fret if your favorite shoe repair shop in Palm Beach has closed. My Shoe Hospital is here to provide expert shoe repair to the people of Palm Beach or anywhere else. Send your shoes in today to get them repaired by the best cobblers in the industry.

/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/hd-My-Shoe-Hospital.mp4

The post Shoe Repair in Palm Beach, Florida appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.

Shoe Repair in San Francisco, California

Epic — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:00:30 +0000

San Francisco is widely considered one of the most conservation conscious cities in America and yet many people still throw out their shoes instead of consulting shoe repair. Granted, the San Francisco hills make it difficult to drive or bike to the shoe repair store across town, and that’s not even including the terrible San Francisco traffic, but that doesn’t need to stop you from quality shoe repair.

Conservation has become the name of the game in San Francisco, California. It seems like everyone in San Francisco is working on reducing their carbon footprint and focusing on the conservation of natural resources.

Why not focus on conservation in addition to saving yourself time and energy? Our mail-in shoe repair service is revolutionizing the shoe repair industry by providing expert craftsmanship through the convenience of online ordering to San Francisco. If you can order a DVD from Amazon, you can order mail-in shoe repair from My Shoe Hospita l.

Whether you’re in Marina, North Beach, Pacific Heights, Union Square, or any other San Francisco borough; you’ll never need to worry about trekking across Twin Peaks or Mount Davidson again. Save yourself the time it would take to travel across San Francisco to drop your shoes off and pick them up just to get a simple shoe repair.

/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/45-My-Shoe-Hospital.mp4

What’s the best part? Shoe repair focuses on conservation over creation. You get to keep the shoes you love in the best shape possible, while also reducing the strain on resources to produce another pair of shoes. In addition, you’ll be saving time not traveling across San Francisco and reducing the CO2 emissions from sitting in San Francisco traffic.

To top it all off, every shoe repair provides an automatic donation to Food for the Poor Inc. So if you’re happy with the job we do on your shoes repair, tell your friends in San Francisco. Together we can make strong efforts towards the conservation of natural resources and provide needy children with food and education.

The post Shoe Repair in San Francisco, California appeared first on My Shoe Hospital.