My Recommended Shoe Cobblers
Shoe cobblers are having a revival thanks to social media. Their skills are finally being spread in real-time videos thanks to TikTok and Instagram. And for some odd reason, people just love to zone out while watching cobblers put on a pair of toe taps or spread cork in the footbed. Go figure!
I thought I would share my favorites that I am constantly recommending to others. I won’t say that I have had work done by all of them, but some live on reputation alone. Here we go:
Table of contents
Bedo’s Leatherworks – Steve Doudaklian
Steve is the magic man of the shoe repair trade. I have seen him do things I didn’t even think were possible. And the reality is that if it is leather, he can fix it. It doesn’t even have to be shoes. I wonder if he gets more ladies’ bags than shoes these days. All jokes aside, Steve is a great guy and an amazing cobbler who can hand-welt a pair of shoes. His family comes from shoemakers so he has that history behind him and it shows in his work.
Based in Virginia
Learn more here: https://leatherrepair.com/
Trenton & Heath – Potter & Sons
Trenton & Heath are brothers who gained huge popularity ripping shoes apart on YouTube and inspecting their claims of quality. And spreading cork, which people just seem to love. Their success on the channel catapulted their success in real life. I have sent some boots to them and they did phenomenal work. And they are great guys to say the least. I highly recommend them if you are local to the Nashville and surrounding areas.
Based in Tennessee
Learn more here: https://www.potterandsons.com/
Jim McFarland – America’s Cobbler
I have personally known Jim the longest as he came to visit me when I first landed in NYC and set up my shop here. I have never had the pleasure of having anything repaired by Jim, but his reputation proceeds him with one of the largest followings as a shoe cobbler and having won numerous awards for shoe repair. Jim has also worked closely with Kirby Allison for many years, so clearly also has Kirby’s vote!
Based in Florida
Learn more here: https://mcfarlandsshoerepair.com
Wyatt & Dad – Pro Cobblers
I have never had the pleasure of meeting nor working with these gentlemen but see them very active on social media, Facebook groups, and the like. From what it looks like, they tend to focus more on heavier boot-style footwear. They can still resole your dress shoes and add triumphs like a pro but often see them recrafting rugged boot styles for the Americana crowd.
Based in North Carolina
Learn more here: https://wyattanddad.com/
Vince’s Village Cobbler – Local NYC
Vince’s is my local cobbler who does all of the toe taps and sole guards for my own shoe brand here in NYC, Soho to be exact. He has also recrafted a few soles for me. And they do a ton of bags and ladies’ shoes. They are the kings of Soho shoe repair!
Based on Sullivan St
Learn more here: https://www.vincesvillagecobbler.com/
If you are in need of shoe repair, you now know where to go. I am pretty sure all of these recommended shoe cobblers have a shipping service, so even if you live on the West Coast or in another country, you can take advantage of their services.
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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How much did it cost for your shoes to be resoled? And how much would it be for closed channelled shoes? I have some Cheaney shoes from their Imperial line and it will be expensive to have them sent to the factory.
Thanks
The owner of the repair shop wished that I did not discuss this on my site, so if you want you can email me or simply call them….sorry
Hi Justin,
I hesitated to buy the Miro (in brown or blue) but i what see here… it will be my next shoes and first loafer !
glad to have inspired you!!
Justin
Justin,
Thanks for that information, it’s well worth knowing.
Good to see you again last week and your shoe collection looked really great.
Best regards,
Snapper
No problem my friend!! Thanks for the kind words with regards to the shoe line. It always a pleasure catching up. Will look forward to the next time.
Take care
Justin
Thanks for recommending a good cobbler in London. Just one quick question. Do you think know if Tony can do toe taps with screws instead of nails?
Thanks, Patrick.
No problem!! Yes he could if he could source them. This is the problem. No one seems to know where to get them in this country and I have not been able to find them myself. I know that in France, they all use screws, as did Stefano Bemer. It’s just finding them that is the problem. If you can assist, I am sure that Tony, as well as myself, would be appreciative!
Justin
Justin as always compliments on the blog. I fear the beginning of this chain got deleted, may I ask who was your recommendation in London?
Hey Dale, responded via email 😉
I have a pair of old Loakes which have a slight split and require a patch would your recommended cobbler do the job?
sorry Simon, but I cannot speak for him on that one. You would have to call him
Can a cobbler do anything when you’ve scraped some of the surface of the leather right off? is there some kind of filler one can use?
Nick
there is nothing you can do to fix it, but they might be able to hide it by burning wax on….
Hi, just gave Tony my favourite pair of C&J shoes for steel toe taps. I wanted them screwed into place but he said getting the screws is difficult, and he used serrated nails, which is probably the best of both. Many thanks for the advice!
Hi Justin. I have some black staining on lower part of the vamp of some mid-tan Church’s loafers. Could to be caused by sweat or damp. I am thinking of darkening the whole upper. Is this something Tony could do for me?
dear James, sorry for the late reply. I am unsure to be honest, it would be something that you would have to ask Tony.
I had a pair of Cheaney’s badly repaired by Timpsons, does Tony do mail order repairs? I live near Bath so a bit far to travel for shoe repair. Unless anyone can recommend a good cobbler in this area.
Yes he does, I just asked him. He said to call for details, number listed above
Tony is the best in the business – by far! http://www.londonshoeshine.com
Does anyone know a good cobbler in Montreal? Thanks
For those in the area a top class cobbler in Oxford is Stacey Weeks of the ‘Country Cobbler’ in Sunninghill village between Oxford and Abingdon.The cost is reasonable as he works from home now having sold his very busy ‘Oxford Cobbler’ to Timpson who he regards as unskilled butchers. I can guarantee the quality and service.
Do you still use Stacey? I can’t find the business online. If still active, please send a phone number. Thanks
Also looking for a good cobbler in the Oxfordshire area. Just tried to search for Stacey Weeks but sadly found an article that he passed away earlier this year
If anyone has recommendation for a cobbler in Oxford, please let me know!
I would be interested to know how these have worn and aged since the resoling
quite well considering I gave them to a friend who wears them all of the time and is still going strong
Try Lutterworth Cobblers for Highest class shoe and boot repairs i assure you they are the finest repairs you will see…not just leather soles wich are amazing they take as much pride in every repair
I need to repair some shoes today … i need it for tomorrow … do you know where I can go?
sorry wouldn’t know….don’t think you will find anyone who will do a sole in one day….maybe Timpsons but I don’t recommend them
don’t think that those are really going to be salvageable. sorry
Hi Justin, would you know if it’s possible to install indented toe taps on on shoe which been worn a couple of times already and thus have a worn sole or do they have to be new unworn soles?
Yes you can….dont need to be new
How were the shoes repaired? Did he put new cork and welt in as well? And the price?
Hoxton Shoe Repairs…… London N.1. Never a problem…. Louboutin have an account with them.
First class Customer Experience…..Can repair anything in leather.
They put shoeshine on a pair of black cordovans that I left with them to get some toe caps fixed… not nice…
If you are ever in Stockholm, Sweden and in need of a “cobbler”, go to “Far & Son Skomakeri” on Borgmästargatan 7.
The name means “Father and Son Shoemaker”, and that is what it is. They also do dry cleaning, tailoring and copy keys, but the real business is actual bespoke shoemaking. But as not a lot of people want to spend £500-1000 and up on a pair of shoes nowadays, they do the rest to get some steady cash flow.
I grew up in the same block, from 1979, and even if I can’t say exactly how long, they’ve been there for as long as I can remember.
He can do anything you want, some things cost, of course, but you won’t get robbed and you will definitely get at least what you pay for.
It’s off the beaten track so to say, but also in the most beautiful part of town, even if it’s gotten overly hip lately, adopting the name “SoFo”, as a play on SoHo. But after a visit to the shop, continue up the street and visit the beautiful park Vita bergen, and see the church of Sofia (where I was wed) and then go west a few hundred meters to end up in the area with the most pubs and restaurants per capita in Sweden!
hi can you alter my boots they are to pointed for me and the heel is to high
any help would be good
I worked in my father’s shoe repair shop in the 1970s. This is why I appreciate fine footwear. Just to share, my dad would repair shoes, boots, leather jackets and horse saddles. Items were brought to him that were totally trashed and he would make them as good as new; and not just look new. I wish I appreciated his work then as I do now. I send my finer footwear to Potter and Sons; well worth the added expense of shipping knowing that I will receive quality work. Oh one more memory. I remember my dad complaining that due to the cost of materials, he will have to start charging $17 for a resole. He worried who will want to pay that much. I know you are very busy but thanks for keeping the community going.
Thanks for sharing. Great stories. If only resoles were $17 today
Anyone in Madrid, Spain, please? -eyewink!-
I wish I knew my friend. I do not know of any cobblers in Spain, only shoemakers 😉
VIP Shoe Repair in NYC does great work- I’m pretty sure I found them via this blog a few years ago
Thanks for sharing Steve and glad to hear it so I can also recommend them further.
Aram the Cobbler in the DC area (he does pickups around DC & suburban MD & NOVA) is really good. The Alden store in DC recommended him – said that he is recommended by the factory as well. I had him resole a pair of C&J for me, blind stitch with a sunken toe plate. Really nice work. He will also do a hand sewn sole with a semi-fiddleback waist for an uncharge. Prices are reasonable and turnaround is about a month normally.
Thank you for sharing Eugene!
Stay away from Vince’s. I dropped off a pair of derby styled shoes to be resoled just recently. It took them 3 weeks to do the job and it was done so poorly that the repair job started peeling less then a month after I picked them up. When I spoke to them on the phone they told me to come into the shop and they’d remedy the situation. When I walked into the shop on the day with the shoes on the day they told me to stop by, they said the peeling soles was normal wear and blew me off. I only wear these shoes to and from work at the office, and I work hybrid so it’s not even 5 business days… they had my shoes in their shop longer then the repair lasted. Never again.
I am sorry to hear of your experience Lance. I would ask to contact Vince and say that you were recommended by me and see if that can help in any way. Sorry.