Explore our curation of online cobblers who are making your shoes look as good as new again simply at the click of a button.
Of all the items you use on a regular basis, your shoes bear the brunt of most wear and tear. Even the most sustainable sneakers will get worn out after prolonged use, and when that time comes, a shoe repair service can be the most conscious alternative to buying a brand-new pair. Especially since Americans throw away at least 300 million pairs of shoes every year where they take up to 40 years to decompose.
Countries like France have even begun subsidizing the cost of shoe repairs for its citizens offering up to €7 discount for mending a heel. While other countries are yet to play catch-up and encourage the radical act of repair, access to online shoe repair services sure makes it convenient.
Whether your shoes need a sole replacement, extensive heel repair, or deep cleaning to get them to a well-preserved state, no task is too small for these talented cobblers. And if you’re wondering how long shoe repairs take in a repair shop? The turnaround time can range anywhere between an hour if you’re fixing a small issue in person to ten weeks if you’re mailing them in depending on the kind of service and complexity of repair, making them well worth the wait.
To help you start resurrecting your trusty old pairs, we’ve compiled a list of shoe repair services that are ready to have your worn-out shoes picked from the comfort of your home to get them all fixed up and returned to you.
They say shoes maketh the man (and woman). So best to ensure they’re in good condition and speak well for you when you sport them.
Where to Find the Best IRL & Online Shoe Repair Services:
1. Coblrshop
Best for: Minor and Full Repairs, Cleaning Service, Adding Protective Soles
Location: Boston, USA | Presence: Online
Ready to restore worn-out shoes from across the US, Coblrshop is a female-founded shoe repair service that specializes in full repairs for a wide range of women’s and men’s shoes providing a heel-to-toe refresh that’ll offer your pairs a second lease on life.
Online shoe repair reviews have raved about Coblrshop and called them “a lifesaver”. The reviewer also added, “These heels have sat for months unworn because of their damage and now I can wear them to a weekend event looking brand new!”
2. Goods & Services
Best for: Customized Redesign, Resoling, Repairs
Location: Los Angeles | Presence: Online & Offline
If your damaged shoes require some serious sole-searching, then Goods & Services is the place to find nirvana. Based in DTLA, this modern workshop reimagines footwear through customized sneaker repairs, resoling, and redesigns using traditional cobbling techniques. Just peek at their process on YouTube where you’ll find a treasure trove of ASMR-heavy videos full of quality craftsmanship.
You can consult them to decide on a service or choose to opt for a custom resole or from three levels of redesign to receive a shoe that’s completely unique to you and ready for the long run.
3. VEJA Cobblers
Best for: Repairs, Cleaning
Locations: Brooklyn, USA; Bordeaux, Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; Madrid, Spain; London, UK
Presence: Offline
Known for their minimalist statement-making sustainable sneaker offerings, French brand VEJA has set up cobblers across several European locations along with one in Brooklyn, New York where you can not only bring your old pair of VEJA’s for a fix but sneakers from other brands are also welcome.
Part of their “Clean, Repair, and Collect” project that was initiated in 2020 to make sneakers last longer, VEJA has repaired over 27,000 sneakers at their outposts ever since.
4. SoleHeeled
Best for: Repairs, Resoling, Heel Replacements, Surface Restoration, Hardware Replacements, Stretching, Stain Protection, Cleaning
Location: Australia | Presence: Online
Born out of the mission to offer quality craftsmanship at a convenience, SoleHeeled lets Australians send in their shoes through their free two-way shipping service for a wide range of repair services.
Whether you need an online boot repair or a restoration on your heels, SoleHeeled repairs several styles within men’s and women’s shoe categories and offers a custom price quote based on the service required. They also showcase shoe repairs with before and after shots that are accompanied by details on the steps taken to restore them.
5. Kokos
Best for: Bespoke Repairs, Sole Replacement, Surface Restoration, Cleaning
Location: London | Presence: Online & Offline
Kokos has been repairing shoes in North London since 1976 through a variety of services to customers who bring in their well-loved shoes for a revival.
They also provide customized repairs where you can choose a Vibram sole from a range of colors in their store and have the option to add a leather welt with topstitching to give your shoes a complete facelift.
We love the fact they have an online shoe care guide and aftercare products and accessories that you can purchase in-store.
6. Cobbler Express
Best for: Repairs, Alterations, Dyeing, Resoling, Surface Treatments, Hardware Replacements, Cleaning
Location: New York | Presence: Online & Offline
Trust that your investment designer shoes will be well tended to at Cobbler Express considering their well-documented experience with them.
You can watch them dye a pair of satin shoes a darker color while retaining their beauty and add an unnoticeable protective rubber half-sole to elongate the life of some designer heels. Customers have raved about their quick turnaround time on small fixes and impeccable craftsmanship on the overall repair.
7. Swanson’s Shoe Repair
Best for: Repairs, Resoling, Hardware Replacements, Stretching, Surface Treatments, Cleaning
Location: Seattle | Presence: Offline
Swanson’s is a third-generation family-owned cobbling business who’ve been repairing shoes in Seattle since 1928. Whether you’ve got a pair of worn-out dress shoes or boots, they are ready to take on the job and deliver a pair that’s as good as new.
They’ll even give your shoes some added orthopedic comfort as long as you have a prescription handy from your consulting podiatrist. Swanson’s also stocks Birkenstock parts to give your old sandals a facelift without losing their original charm.
8. Cobbler’s Direct
Best for: Repairs, Resoling, Stretching, Surface Treatments, Cleaning
Location: Texas | Presence: Online
Formerly known as My Shoe Hospital, Cobbler’s Direct comes from a long line of “shoe hospitals” that date back to 1906. Whether it’s a heel replacement, resoling, or deep clean, you can simply order your repairs online, drop-ship them, and sit tight for a week or two while your shoes are skillfully repaired and returned to your doorstep.
Dog ate your shoe? Don’t worry about a thing! You’d be surprised to know how often they’ve repaired damaged pairs that were brought in after being chewed up by customers’ furry friends.
9. Pasquale Shoe Repair
Best for: Heel Restoration, Heel Tip Replacement, Resoling, Surface Treatments, Cleaning
Location: Los Angeles | Presence: Online & Offline
Known for tending to Hollywood’s finest feet, LA-based Pasquale Shoe Repair offers a wide range of shoe restoration services that can be booked online and mailed into their workshop for quality repairs.
They also stock a range of aftercare products on their website like sneaker cleaning kits, stain-resistant sprays, and leather care kits so you can care for your shoes at home.
10. Cobbler’s Bench
Best for: Repairs, Protective Resoling, Stretching, Dyeing, Heel Replacements, Deep Cleaning
Locations: Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia | Presence: Online & Offline
In the shoe repair business since 1946, Cobbler’s Bench prides itself on using time-honored cobbling techniques to restore your damaged shoes to a well-preserved condition.
Apart from their wide range of repair services, Cobbler’s Bench also tends to new shoes that need to be broken into through some stretching, weatherproofing to maintain their pristine look, and adding some protective soles to increase slip resistance.
You can also choose to visit any one of their 17 locations in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Northern Virginia.
11. DeVito’s Shoe Repair
Best for: Repairs, Resoling, Boot Caulking, Leather Restoration, Hardware Replacements
Location: Canada | Presence: Online & Offline
DeVito’s is a fourth-generation family business that’s been repairing shoes since 1926. Customers can mail in their damaged pairs from across Canada to get all sorts of repairs done on women’s and men’s dress shoes, sandals, boots, heels, and even hiking shoes.
Canadian customers can also visit their location in Nelson, British Columbia to avail of custom orthotics for any foot-related complaints from Vince DeVito who is also a Certified Pedorthic Technician and Pedorthist.
12. Fix Your Kicks
Best for: Repairs, Resoling, Heel Replacements, Hardware Replacements, Stretching, Deep Cleaning, Custom Engraving
Location: Chicago | Presence: Offline
With three locations in Chicago Fix Your Kicks doesn’t just repair sneakers, but they also fix up heels, men’s dress shoes, and sandals. Their website showcases a lot of before and after shots of well-repaired shoes that’ll definitely leave you impressed. We love the fact that they offer engraving on sneakers as a service for anyone who wants initials monogrammed on your cool kicks.
About The Author:
Jharna Pariani is a fashion writer and creative strategist whose work is rooted in honesty and deep observation of the world around her. When she isn’t busy penning down her thoughts, she moonlights as a video editor creating fashion and food reels on Instagram for several brands and influencers
You Might Also Want to Check Out:
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12 IRL & Online Shoe Repair Services That Can Restore Your Favorite Pairs
This week’s quote is a Somali proverb: “Be a mountain or lean on one.”
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click to get a larger image.
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Ballet flats have long been a staple in my wardrobe, but in the past few years have experienced a significant resurgence — and for good reason. The right pair can be practical, versatile, and oh so chic through days at work, with family, or out for the evening. But finding that “just right” set that’s well-crafted and sustainably made can be a whole other story. That’s why this sustainable flats guide exists.
Comfort, style, sustainability, and longevity are a lot to ask in a shoe, but I don’t believe it’s too much. It just takes some extra digging. And thankfully, I’ve done that digging for you. Because I get it! I want a flat that looks beautiful. I want a flat that’s made responsibly in line with my values. I want a shoe I can actually wear for my life. And I want that shoe to be worth the investment — it has to last. That’s why I vetted through dozens of brands to create this curated list of flats.
What Makes a Flat More Sustainable?
Material Sourcing
Footwear is a tricky category when it comes to sustainable fashion because we ask a lot of our shoes. We wear them in rain or sunshine, paved paths and cobblestone, day in and day out for years. And through it all, they have to remain beautiful. Because when they’re unwearable, there’s not much left to do with them: there is no viable footwear recycling today. Anywhere that calls it “shoe recycling” is really repurposing that footwear. But once it can no longer be worn, it’s simply trash.
In other words, our shoes need to be incredibly durable, even though the most durable materials don’t always come with the lightest footprint. In footwear, when we talk about durability, we usually rely on leather or high-performance synthetic materials. Leather can hold up with many years of wear, getting more beautiful with wear, and is easy to repair when needed. Synthetic materials are also durable, particularly for withstanding the elements like snow and rain.
But sourcing these materials conventionally is highly polluting — so how can we source these materials better?
For synthetics, we have recycled options. Today, that’s largely recycling from plastic bottles, which isn’t without it’s controversies, but there is much innovation happening in the industry around true textile-to-textile recycling.
For leather, I look for:
- Vegetable-tanned (rather than chromium tanned)
- Locally-sourced leather (more traceability), and/or
- Leather Working Group certified leather, which covers responsible management of water, energy, and waste; safe chemical management, traceability of the raw material, and occupational safety for workers.
Notably, there is no certification for animal welfare, so these are imperfect systems. But the alternative is footwear made from synthetic plastic materials or vegan leather alternatives that don’t yet meet the same durability standards as leather. Sustainability within today’s constraints requires trade-offs.
That said, there is always secondhand leather — by buying shoes secondhand you can access the quality of leather without adding further demand for the material.
Responsible Manufacturing
When considering responsible production practices, I look for first and foremost: transparency. Seeing what the brand shares about their material sourcing, their process, and who made their shoes where. And then I look at the details of that process: were the shoes made locally or within a geographic region? How are the workers paid and treated — and under which conditions do they work?
And, sometimes a brand employs an out-of-the-box approach to manufacturing entirely. There are a few slow fashion footwear brands challenging the traditional fashion system of ordering in mass quantities before demand is assessed —which inevitably leads to overproduction. These brands use an “on demand” model instead, producing their shoes only after they’ve been ordered. This reduces the risk of overproduction (i.e. producing more than what gets sold) while also encouraging more thoughtful consumption. You can’t impulse buy a pair of Mary Janes that you have to wait 8 weeks for.
Wearable and Beautiful
The most perfectly environmentally sustainable flat in the world is useless if no one wants to wear it. And as I mentioned earlier, footwear cannot be recycled into new footwear at the end of its life, so we want our shoes to last a really long time. That means they need to be design forward and comfortable, too.
My Top Picks for More Sustainable and Ethical Flats
Keeping all of that in mind, these more sustainable flats brands meet this criteria, albeit to various extents. Some err more on comfort while some more on style. Some have admirable levels of transparency and social impact, while other brands have more of a focus on their ecological impact. I’ve included descriptions alongside each brand as well as a summary of conscious qualities so you can find a brand that meets your priorities best. And, of course, a price range so you know what makes sense for your budget as well.
Some that this guide includes affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you shop through these links. As always, brands featured in shopping guides are brands that meet our strict sustainability criteria that we think you’ll love.
1. ALOHAS
Spanish brand ALOHAS flips the typical fashion production system on its head with its on-demand model.
Instead of overproducing thousands of shoes to later discount them, ALOHAS does the exact opposite. Its newest styles are available for pre-order at a discount of 30%, so the footwear brand can more accurately forecast demand. Then the shoes — like their flats — are primarily made by local artisans in Spain and Portugal. The brand regularly shows the behind the scenes of their production on their social media.
Conscious Qualities: On-Demand Production, Locally Made
Size Range: EU 35-42 (US 5-11)
Price Range: $195-$225
2. Rothy’s
If you’re looking for flats for all-day wear at work or running errands, Rothy’s is my recommendation with their cushy insoles. The brand makes their more sustainable flats from recycled plastic bottles, as well as materials like hemp and merino wool, but they still look sleek enough for the office.
While I might not wear Rothy’s flats to a fashion event (I prefer smooth leather for more elevated occasions), they are more than stylish enough to wear to most of my real-life scenarios. My favorite part about Rothy’s, though, is that they are machine washable.
Materials: Recycled & Natural Materials, Owns One Factory (undisclosed percentage of production)
Size Range: US 5-13
Price Range: $99-$165
3. Vivaia
Vivaia has the most adorable sustainable Mary Janes made from recycled plastic bottles. The adjustable straps and arch support make Vivaia’s Mary Janes suitable for all-day comfort, even if your feet are typically prone to slipping out of flats.
This vegan footwear brand also makes square-toe and pointed-toe flats for a more elevated look. And of the several recycled plastic bottle footwear brands on the market today, Vivaia tends to have the most elevated designs in my opinion.
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled Materials
Size Range: US 5-11
Price: $97 – $116
4. The RealReal
The RealReal is an authenticated luxury resale platform with contemporary, designer, and high-end luxury brands. Depending on your priorities you can find shoes in anywhere from pristine condition (but higher priced)) to “fair” or even “as is” for the largest discount from full price.
You don’t always have as many options aesthetically when shopping more sustainably, so I like to go to The RealReal when I’m looking for specific styles. I was recently looking for Mary Janes with feminine detailing and came across Larroude Flats on The RealReal, where I purchased a pair of neutral scalloped accent flats. (Pictured here!)
Conscious Qualities: Secondhand
Size Range: US 3.5-14
Price Range: $9+
5. ESSĒN
ESSĒN elegant, minimalist footwear is artisan handcrafted from Leather Working Group-certified leather in solar-powered facilities in Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Each shoe also comes with a product passport where you can view the step-by-step journey that product took through the brand’s supply chain from raw material to manufacturing to packaging and distribution.
Beyond transparency and responsible manufacturing, ESSĒN’s slow fashion business model prevents overproduction by operating on a made to order basis. Meaning while sizes and styles are predefined, the shoes are only produced after they’ve been ordered.
Conscious Qualities: LWG Certified, Supply Chain Transparency, On Demand Production
Size Range: EU 35-44 (US 4-13)
Price Range: $295-$450
6. Allbirds
Another comfort-first footwear option besides Rothy’s is Allbirds. The brand creates lightweight, super smooth and breathable flats from tree fibers, aptly called “Tree Breezers”. The (washable) shoes are also soft enough to wear without socks.
The Allbirds Tree Breezers are far more comfortable than typical flats, though I find that the Rothy’s are slightly comfier.
Conscious Qualities: Natural materials (FSC-Certified eucalyptus, castor mean oil, sugarcane EVA)
Size Range: US 5-11
Price Range: $105-$125
7. Darzah
Fair trade certified by Fair Trade Federation, Darzah’s ethical flats are entirely hand-embroidered and handcrafted in Palestine from locally sourced leather.
The tatreez flats from this nonprofit are embroidered by refugee and low-income women artisans in the West Bank with this traditional Palestinian techniques.
Conscious Qualities: Sustains Heritage Crafts, Fair Trade Certified
Size Range: EU 36-41 (US 6-10)
Price Range: $199 – $209
8. Nisolo
If you’re seeking a quality pair of classic leather flats ideal for your capsule wardrobe, Nisolo is a strong pick. Nisolo’s flats are handcrafted by artisans using leather sourced from a Leather Working Group certified tannery.
I’ve been wearing my Nisolo shoes for many years and can attest to their quality and durability.
That said, the brand has recently turned over to new ownership and now has significantly less information about their sustainability and ethics in their supply chain. I will be keeping a close eye on this brand to see if it continues to uphold the values Nisolo has long held.
Conscious Qualities: LWG-Certified, Artisan Handcrafted
Size Range: US 5-11
Price: $138 – $198
For More Slow Fashion Content:
You May Also Want to Check Out:
The Best Affordable Ethical Fashion Brands
Responsibly Made Vegan Shoe Brands
15 Brands with Ethical Boots to Rock this Fall (and Beyond)
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Today’s quote is from writer, businessman, and conservationist Simon M. Lamb. In his book, Junglenomics: Nature’s Solutions to the World Environment Crisis, he suggests that nature provides solutions to help us reform our environmentally destructive economic practices.
Lamb writes, “As in nature, so in economics — what provides survives.”
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
Editor’s Note: This poster was originally published on March 27, 2020.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: What Provides Survives — Simon M. Lamb appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-what-provides-survives-simon-m-lamb/
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