Your favorite shoes deserve to look their best! Whether they come from one of NYC’s premier shoe stores or were bought online, Joe Rocco of Jim’s Shoe Repair on the Upper East Side continues his family legacy by providing quick shines, sole replacements, and more for his customers’ shoes.
1. Leather Repair
Every woman has something in her closet made of leather that needs repairs, whether it be a beloved Bruno Cucinelli cardigan with moth holes, faded shoes, or an irreparably damaged handbag lining. In these instances, professional leather repair specialists can return these treasured pieces to like-new condition.
Modern Leather Goods is your one-stop shop for leather repair needs. Boasting ten full-time repairers – including one who soles boots – trained by guild master cobblers can do almost any task imaginable: from refinishing delicate or worn leathers, customizing handles and straps (even matching an older frame to new designs), relining Judith Leiber minaudieres, reweave sweaters, solder metal hardware repairs, and soldering repairs as well as dye fabric dyeing!
But it’s the company’s specialized shoe repairs that truly set them apart: adding new soles to boots; widening heels to make shoes narrower; redoing cuff or vamp on boots; redoing platform on flats; matching buckles and elastic; stretching shoes or boots to achieve perfect fits – they do it all!
Creative Colors International provides on-site leather, vinyl, plastic, and fabric furniture repairs and restoration for automobiles, trucks, aircraft, boats, yachts, motorcycles, restaurants, and other business furnishings. Their team of trained technicians comes directly to your home or place of business to fix tears, rips, punctures, baby accidents, pet damage, odors, and fading aging, as well as restore medical exam tables, chairs, pre-owned inventory, rental cars, restaurant seating airline seating, other business equipment while offering significant cost savings versus replacement. Furthermore, they repair/refurbish plastic molding/ trim in boats/airplanes/motorcycles!
2. Sole Repair
Shoe repair shops can give your worn footwear a new life. In addition, they can help maintain the appearance of new ones so you can continue wearing them for years. From adding shine to leather shoes to having boots resoled – New York City offers plenty of shoe repair shops providing these services.
Joe Rocco of Jim’s Shoe Repair on the Upper East Side and his team are ready to tackle all types of shoe-related problems that arise with daily wear, such as walking on hard pavement. Joe notes that many customers come in damaged from pets.
Cobbler Express in Manhattan provides professional repair for all leather footwear – shoes, heels, boots, jackets, and handbags – from shoes to heels, boots, jackets, and bags. Additionally, they specialize in luxury designer brands such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik Prada, Robert Gellererie Aldens Fendi, and more.
Rago Brothers cobblers specialize in repairing To Boot New York shoes and boots as well as their accessories and fixing linings, soles, and zippers in leather apparel.
3. Lining Repair
Shoemaking is an artistic and expressive craft that allows designers to bring their visions to life through intricate processes such as pattern-making, cutting, stitching, and assembly techniques. The end product combines form, function, and fashion and can range from casual sneakers to high-fashion heels – an activity that also provides social connections among like-minded enthusiasts who share an appreciation of shoemaking as a social activity.
NYC is an epicenter for shoemaking, boasting a long and distinguished history and flourishing industry. Home to some of the industry’s premier shoemakers and designers, New York provides learners an invaluable opportunity to network and gain knowledge from industry veterans. For those interested in learning their craft, introductory classes at 92nd Street Y and Brooklyn Shoe Space provide types to learn this craft.
Shoemaking classes provide a fantastic way for friends and family to unite while creating custom footwear designs. Online platforms such as CourseHorse provide courses of this sort.
4. Stitch Repair
Though stitch repair may be less prevalent today than it once was, skilled cobblers still exist, and Jeremy Taylor and Crissy run a shoe repair shop out of their Sydney home in Australia where they specialize in Goodyear-welted footwear such as Doc Martens and Dr. Martens as well as tricky restoration projects as well as leather goods such as bags, hats, clothing, etc. Their motto is “no BS,” so they will work closely with you to find a solution that best meets your shoe needs!
Madison Shoe Repair is run by cobbler Michael Benters and staffed with his 24 years of experience as a cobbler in the shoe industry. Michael works closely with customers to identify footwear solutions to fit their needs, working with JR and Dainite outsoles and deadstock materials like La Querce sole leather and Cat’s Paw leather to find answers.
Vito Rocco founded Jim’s Shoe Repair in New York in 1940, and his son Joe continues to manage it today. They provide traditional cobbling services like repairing, restoring, and polishing shoes, leather garment alterations/repairs/visible darning/darning repairs, and custom leatherwork services.
5. Zipper Repair
If your zipper teeth have started bending or misaligning, it may be time for an alteration job at your local dry cleaner – which should make for an easy fix and save your clothing and gear from being trashed! This task typically only requires minor alterations for most dry cleaners – and could help you save some of the dress and equipment you depend on daily!
This problem typically arises because the zipper slider wears out over time, no longer joining its teeth properly. Luckily, you can purchase an easy-to-install replacement zipper slider, which works on most plastic-teethed zippers; plus, the repair kit comes equipped with a seam ripper so you can remove stitching at either end and pry off metal stops at the top for better functionality.
Use pliers to slowly straighten out any crookedness in the zipper teeth if necessary; however, for severely worn-out zippers where many teeth have dislodged from their housings, purchasing new zippers altogether would be more cost-effective.
Shoemaking is an ancient and highly skilled craft that demands craftsmanship, an extensive understanding of the material, and attention to detail. NYC boasts several excellent shoemaking resources, such as the Brooklyn Shoe Space, which provides beginner classes, workshops, and intensive five-day boot camps – you can also take online courses on this topic through CourseHorse and other providers.
Whether your zipper needs repair or needs to be updated, having access to a tailor or seamstress who can assist is critical to having a sustainable wardrobe and helping reduce waste by keeping clothes out of landfills. By having them repaired, you can give your zippers new life and extend their lifespan, ensuring longer use!
