Green Living
12 IRL & Online Shoe Repair Services That Can Restore Your Favorite Pairs
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
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12 IRL & Online Shoe Repair Services That Can Restore Your Favorite Pairs