[Jorgem2009]

what do you guys and gals do when nice shoes are damaged or need a shine or some TLC? since cobblers are not really around or shoe shine guys, do you go to a shoe repair shop?

[gtron]

depends but you can apply this to most things these days: throw it in the gutter and go buy another

[Biorin]

I keep some leather cleaners handy, but will always make the time to go to a cobbler if they really need anything (new heel taps, soles, etc).

[Mr.SugarSkulls]

Somewhat stated already, but perfect excuse to go buy new ones

I know I do that when I'm too lazy to wash my clothes.

[csu87]

i tend to just buy new ones.

If they are a really nice pair/expensive pair, I might go get them fixed, but would probably just not wear them instead

[RickFLM4]

Something nice and in a classic (not trendy) style like Allen Edmonds, I'd ship back to get reconditioned. I've had some of those shoes for 20+ years. Something that cost around $100 I'd throw away. There is a shoe repair place nearby I've used a few times but many of today's shoes are disposable / not repairable even if you wanted to do so.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Jorgem2009

what do you guys and gals do when nice shoes are damaged or need a shine or some TLC? since cobblers are not really around or shoe shine guys, do you go to a shoe repair shop?

Red:
??? There is no shortage of cobblers in the Los Angeles area. Are you perhaps not in L.A. at the moment? (https://www.google.com/search?q=los+...utf-8&oe=utf-8)







Blue:
What I do depends on what's needed and the time and tools I have at hand when it's needed.

• Repairs -- I take the shoes to a cobbler.
• Cleaning and/or Shine
  • If really pressed, I'll have it done at a "quick shine" stand in an airport, train station, department store or something like that. I don't like to frequently use the services of those places because they have to get it done in 10 minutes or so and doing it right takes longer than that. Using them as one's sole and primary shoe care will shorten the overall life of one's uppers because the leather isn't allowed to thoroughly dry before they begin to apply wax and polish.
  • If I have time to do it myself, I use basically this method: http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/polis...shoes-properly . I like this method, and especially using wax at the end, because as the shine dulls down, a simple brushing and quick once over with a dry cloth will bring it back up for quite a while -- easily a month with regular wear; far longer with intermittent wear -- before I need to do "the whole shebang" again.
  • If I need more shine than noted above, I "fire shine" the shoes using the method above for cleaning and conditioning steps (because my leather is far nicer than is the leather on ROTC low quarters) and this method for the fire shining steps (because a fire shine is a shinier shine):
    .
    
    I keep the "fire shining" to a minimum (2 times a year at the most and ideally not that often), however, because the technique was developed to effect a very high shine on a relatively low grade of leather. (Low grade in terms of luxuriousness, not in terms of durability.)
    
    Also, because the "fire shine" approach leaves less wax on the surface of the shoes, I'd have to repeat the whole process much sooner -- about two or three wears at the most -- than were I to have used the method in the preceding bullet. So I reserve "fire shining" for shoes I'll wear on the very dressiest of occasions, and those are shoes that, between them all, each only gets worn 5-8 times a year, and that may only need a "fire shine" once. (I also own patent leather shoes, but they only ever need to be cleaned and occasionally given a once over with petroleum jelly.)

If you are like me, you probably want your shoes to last a long time. I wrote some tips for my son and I've attached them to this post.

All the best.

[Needbmwpartzz]

I'm just not that into shoes to consider repair.
I wear until I cannot stand the look or the shoes are getting too worn or old,then in with the new.

[overcoil]

Definately clean myself, shoes can last, and good shoes are just so much more comfortable.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Needbmwpartzz

I'm just not that into shoes to consider repair.
I wear until I cannot stand the look or the shoes are getting too worn or old,then in with the new.

I'm not into shoe fashion but will happily spend money on a pair that fit properly and were manufactured with high quality. Most shoes are treated as disposable nowadays and most people walk around with shoes that don't fit quite right because they think they know their shoe size but haven't had their feet measured by someone that knows what they are doing in a long time, if ever. It is actually more difficult to find a place to buy high quality shoes from someone who knows / cares about what they are doing than to find a shoe repair shop.

[P1]

Lol at the people using Kiwi shit to clean their shoes. That's the equivalent of using Turtle Wax you bought at Wal Mart on your M3.

[NEFARIOUS]

I've been meaning to recondition my shoes... I have a set of Salvatore Ferragamos and they look like crap.

[Maestro]

The sad fact is most shoes today can not be repair.

I come from a family which owns cobbler businesses, My dad had one back in the 1940's and 1950's, his brother took it over and I have a number of my counsins on my dad's brother side who still operates shoe repairs business. I had a few of my better shoes fixed and the repair did not hold up due to the way the make shoes today. Unless you are spending $300 plus on well made dress shoes most can not be easily fixed, most women shoes are worse than men's shoes to repair today.

Beyond this I usually shine my own and scrap them when they wear out. I have a couple of top of the line shoes I wear with the suite and since I do not wear them all that often I have not needed to get them fix.

With that said I did explore doing an online shoe repair business and would have people ship them to one of my counsin's places. But due to the fact most cheap shoes can not be repair the return risk is too high. Also I found out those top of the line shoe companies who still make high quality shoes have their own factory repairs so you can send them back to them and they will fix for you.