My Hero, the Cobbler...

There are little events in life that make me sigh, look around, and ask, “really?” Events such as dropping something for the third time in a row, stabbing the roof of your mouth with a tortilla chip, stubbing your toe, leaving your lunch at home, and in my opinion, the cake-topper: your favorite shoes breaking. We’ve all had it happen to us, and thankfully, I’ve mostly had wear and tear issues, rather than something snapping off while wearing them. I’ve tossed a lot of good shoes because I didn’t know any better. I thought they were broken and that’s that. They’re done. I threw them away like an idiot. I’ll never forget my pricey avocado colored heels with dark brown piping that I tossed because I wore a hole through the sole of the right shoe. Ugh…I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for getting rid of those. Of course some shoes aren’t worth repairing. I’m never going to take my cheapie flats to a cobbler. It’s more cost effective to just buy a new pair. However, when I realized that my expensive over-the-knee leather boots had a cracked sole, I knew I had to do right by them and take them to a cobbler. Being in the shoe business (hehe), we frequently refer customers to a cobbler in Medford, Oregon that does fantastic work. Messinger Shoe Repair is located downtown, tucked away inside Norris Shoes, a store that specializes in comfort. I’ve sent many customers to Messinger’s, so I figured I should give him a go and see for myself what kind of work he can do. I made sure to have low expectations that way I wouldn’t be disappointed and figured either way, as long as I’m able to wear them again, regardless of how the new sole turns out, it’s better than never being able to wear them again. About two weeks later, my boots were finished. Not only did he re-sole them, he dyed the toe, leaving my boots looking scuff-less. They literally were returned to me better than new. The best part is that the repair cost me $30. These boots would have cost me hundreds of dollars to replace, but Messinger’s was able to make them perfect for only $30. Crazy, right?

So, the moral of the story is don’t give up on your favorite shoes just because the sole is cracked, or a buckle fell off, or a zipper broke. Before you toss them, make sure a cobbler can’t make them as good as new for just a few bucks.

post by Amanda