Resoling & Repair

Well-made shoes are built to be repaired. The trick is to go to the cobbler early, while the repair is still small, and to know what kind of shoe you have.

How is the sole attached?

Construction	How to spot it	Can it be resoled?
Goodyear welted	A visible stitched strip around the edge, stitching on the sole too	Yes, usually many times
Blake stitched	Stitching visible inside the shoe and on the sole, slim edge	Yes, with the right machine
Cemented	No stitching; sole glued to the upper	Sometimes, depending on the shoe
Moulded	One-piece rubber unit, common on trainers	Rarely

Signs it is time

• The heel tip is worn flat or down at one corner.
• A leather sole feels soft or flexes too easily under the ball of the foot.
• You can see a thin patch or a hole starting near the front.
• Stitching on the sole has worn through.
• Water gets in on wet days.

Common repairs

1. Heel tips. The quickest and cheapest job. Doing it often protects the heel stack.
2. Half soles. Replacing the front part of the sole when the rest is sound.
3. Full resole. A new sole and heel, sometimes with new welting.
4. Toe taps or rubber protectors. Thin plates or rubber layers that slow wear on new leather soles.
5. Stitching and upper repairs. Re-stitching seams, patching linings and replacing eyelets or zips.

Talking to a cobbler

Ask what sole materials they recommend for how you walk and where. Leather soles breathe and look elegant; rubber grips better in the wet. Ask whether they will keep the original heel stack or replace it, and how long the work will take. A good cobbler will tell you when a repair is not worth doing.

Between repairs

• Rotate shoes so each pair rests a day between wears.
• Use cedar shoe trees to absorb moisture and hold the shape.
• Dry wet shoes slowly at room temperature, stuffed with paper, never on a radiator.
• Clean salt marks from winter streets promptly with a damp cloth.

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