Cobble Cobble!

Does anyone still visit a cobbler? Excuse me, a shoe repairman?

I have these great Joan & David square-toe loafers I bought at the Outlet in Petaluma, CA years ago. (Marked down to $80.00 for $120.00 shoes. That’s $10.00 a year for the last 8 years!) They need some tender love, but I can’t for the life of me, find a good cobbler anywhere in Northern Virginia.

For $15.00-$30.00 bucks you can repair your shoes to the point where they look and feel new, but without the blisters all over your feet from breaking them in. I know that pointy toes are all the fashion rage, but I really don’t care what people in the office think about these shoes. They’re so damned comfortable I don’t want to trash them just yet.

That’s my frugal tip of the day. Take your shoes to the cobbler for some TLC.

Comments (5) left to “Cobble Cobble!”

  1. Bri wrote:

    Go to Nordstrom. They usually have a good shoe repair person on contract. In my town, he picks up shoes once a week and returns them the next week. I’ve always had good results from him.

  2. Dan wrote:

    I do!!!

    I find Cole-Haan shoes will last a lot longer then Dept. store shoes for work. (I wear a suit everyday.) I go to the cole-haan outlet and get a pair for $100-$120. Then after 18 months of heavy use, I get the sole replaced for $20-25. So at the max, I spent $145 for 3 solid years of use. Instead of $65 for maybe a year of use for a dept. store brand.

  3. mapgirl wrote:

    Hi Bri! Thanks for the tip. I will definitely check out Nordstrom’s. But I admit I’m wary of going to into a department store with all of its temptations. Stuart Weitzmann shoes are much too pretty. I must stop and gawk like I’m at an art gallery.

    Hi Dan! That’s the M.O. Buy fine shoes and repair them till they can’t be repaired anymore. I get Vibram replacements for the leather soles almost right away. My cousin gets taps, but I tend to skate across the ice in the driveway with taps on. (She lives where it’s not icy.)

  4. Anonymous wrote:

    Despite their name, the Going Out Gurus at WaPo.com end up fielding a LOT of questions about tailors and such on their Thursday chat. You could try submitting a question there, or at least reading through their archives to see if someone else recommended a good place. And then, after your question is answered, you can mock them for spending $200 on a pair of jeans. Good times.

  5. Amanda wrote:

    I love my “cobbler” - you can usually find them anywhere that does leather repairs or polishes shoes. I always go to them because I wear out my heel-tips so frequently running around the city!

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