Updated 11/29/2023
“My dog got my boots…anyone know a good place that can repair them?”
“Do you think my heels need to be replaced?”
“I’m thinking about using my Paraboot Michaels for a multi-state hike through the Appalachian Trail because I’m a highly dedicated Tyrolean reenactor who is also deeply devoted to funky style and I want to slap some Vibram 100 soles on them. Where should I send them?”
We see questions like these asked all the time. Not just in the Stitchdown Premium Discord, but pretty much everywhere online shoe discourse occurs. Your shoes get damaged, or they get run down, or you’re just looking to spruce them up…where are you gonna send them? Well, you gotta find a good cobbler for that.
The shoe repair industry today isn’t as thriving as it used to be, to say the least. According to cobbler and shoe repair historian Jim McFarland, in the United States there were about 120,000 cobblers in the year 1928; today, that number has dropped below 4,000. With fewer skilled cobblers left in the US and abroad, the trick is finding one who can do the job right, especially when it concerns the high-quality Goodyear welt, etc footwear that we live by here at Stitchdown. You don’t want someone who’s just gonna slap an extra layer of rubber over the worn-out stuff and call it a day. You owe it to yourself, and your shoes, to find a cobbler who’s skilled at their craft.
That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to put this list together. In terms of methodology, we started by polling the Discord and reaching out to some of our most trusted friends who have had the most work done on their shoes to find cobblers who have top-notch craftsmanship and customer service. But things really started to snowball when we asked those cobblers to recommend folks they thought deserved to be part of this list.
The cobblers included here should have little trouble tackling whatever jobs you throw at them. This guide is by no means exhaustive, but we believe you can send these cobblers your shoes and boots with the peace of mind that they’ll be in extremely good hands.
Our goal is to have this guide be a living document. We’ve kicked things off by highlighting cobblers in the USA and Canada, and we’ve started expanding it to include cobblers from all around the world. Of course, we’ll be continually adding to it and keeping it up to date as best as we can.
If you know and love a shoe repair shop that you think should be in our guide, just shoot us an email at hello@stitchdown.com and we’ll check ‘em out.
Alright! Away we go…
UNITED STATES
McFarland Shoe Repair
Location: Lakeland, FL
Est.: 1918
Mail-in Service: Yes
Now in its third generation of family ownership under Jim McFarland, McFarland Shoe Repair is about as trustworthy as cobblers get, especially on delicate jobs or for high-quality upgrades like Triumph toe plates, JR soles, and blind channel stitching. If you’re interested in learning more about the cobbler industry, Jim has been heavily involved with the Shoe Service Institute of America (SSIA) for several years (he previously won the SSIA Grand Silver Cup award for his exceptional repairs), and is also a knowledgeable historian of shoe repair. And definitely take a listen to his conversation with Ben and Ticho on the Stitchdown Shoecast—it should open your eyes to the industry in a powerful way.
Bedo’s Leatherworks
Location: Falls Church, VA
Est.: 1977
Mail-in Service: Yes
Bedo’s Owner Steve Doudaklian is a master cobbler with multiple SSIA awards (most recently earning the 2019 World Cup) and one of the most skilled and respected craftsmen in the industry today (over half the cobblers we spoke to recommended him for this guide). Steve’s favorite projects tend to be dress shoes, but he’s an absolute magician at resurrecting any sort of beat-up, broken-down footwear to a factory finish—or oftentimes even better than their original build.
LaRossa Shoe
Location: Weymouth, MA
Est.: 1923
Mail-in Service: Yes
LaRossa Shoe is a fixture of the Boston area, having served customers for roughly a century through three generations of family ownership. They stock genuine Alden parts for all your Alden refurbishment needs (and they also offer some pretty nifty Aldens of their own in their retail store, Louie). Other than providing time-tested and reliable service for shoes and other leather goods, LaRossa’s specialty is repairing golfing shoes—they’re one of the go-to shops for PGA pros.
Daub’s Cobbler Shop
Location: Laconia, NH
Established: 2011
Mail-in Service: Yes
Owner Jim Daubenspeck has been working with leather goods of all sorts since 1980, though he would argue that his son Nate has become the true master repairman at Daub’s Cobbler Shop. At Daub’s, they do excellent work on shoes and boots of all kinds, but they’re the only authorized repair shop for Zamberlan and Asolo hiking boots east of the Rocky Mountains, and they also work closely with the folks at New Hampshire’s own Peter Limmer & Sons. (They’re one of the few shops in New England that’ll recraft cowboy boots, too!)
Cobbler & Co.
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Est.: 2001
Mail-in Service: Yes
Cobbler Sunny Yoo started working in his family’s shoe repair shop his freshman year of high school, and in the years since, he’s taken over the family business and won four international shoe repair awards. For anything from eyelet replacement to full resoles, you’ll be in good hands with Sunny.
Aram The Cobbler
Location: Springfield, VA
Est.: 1994
Mail-in Service: Yes
Aram is another perfect fella to talk to if you’re looking to refurbish some Aldens with their original soles and heels. Otherwise he carries resole products from JR, Vibram and Goodyear, and has several decades of experience working on all sorts of brands: Vass, Gaziano & Girling, Paraboot, John Lobb, Viberg, Edward Green, Rancourt, and many, many more.
Wyatt & Dad Cobbler Company
Location: Winston-Salem, NC; Durham, NC; Charlotte, NC
Est.: 1989
Mail-in Service: Yes
This cobblers’ collective can take on just about any kind of project, offering a variety of sole products including Vibram, Dainite, and JR. They just began stocking Dr. Sole, too! If you really want your shoes to become a statement piece, let Cobbler Tobias whip up a custom design on your new soles and elevate them into a work of art with air-brush paints, dyes, and decorative brass nails.
Cobbler’s Corner
Location: Simpsonville, SC
Est.: 2015
Mail-in Service: Yes
Jeremy Taylor was previously an auto worker at the local BMW plant, but after a chance encounter with a local cobbler who was going out of business, Jeremy decided to take the plunge and try out shoe repair. Today, he and his wife Crissy take on all sorts of projects restoring shoes and other leather accessories. Jeremy says their number-one value is no BS—he’ll work with customers to help them find the best solutions.
Hear Jim McFarland lay out the concerning state of the overall cobbling industry—and how it might get fixed—on the Stitchdown Shoecast
Potter and Sons
Location: Columbia, TN
Est.: 2012
Mail-in Service: Yes
You may know Potter and Sons from their YouTube channel Trenton & Heath, where you can see them work on various pairs of footwear from start to finish. Their primary focus is on recrafting Goodyear welted footwear, and they carry a variety of resole products including JR, Dainite, Baker, and more.
Fred’s Shoe Repair
Location: Peoria, IL
Est.: 1971
Mail-in Service: Yes
Fred’s Shoe Repair has been serving central Illinois for over five decades through three generations of cobblers at the helm, and they’re happy to take on all sorts of leather repairs and alterations. They carry JR Soles, Cat’s Paw heels, and other hidden gems of the shoe repair world.
George’s Shoe Repair
Location: Arden Hills, MN
Est.: 1905
Mail-in Service: Yes
Third-generation cobbler Ron George runs this highly-capable repair and restoration shop alongside his son Luke and his daughter Melissa. Luke has had the distinction of serving as a featured cobbler for the Vibram Sole Factor Tour, and was also the recipient of the Gold Award in the 2021 SSIA cobbler competition.
Greenwich Vintage Co.
Location: Waconia, MN
Est.: 2010
Mail-in Service: Yes
Cobbler Tamas “Zen” Pomazi has lived many lives—graffiti writer and custom sneaker artist among them—and they all inform his colorful approach to shoe repair and restoration. Not only offering a full suite of repair services, Greenwich Vintage also has a wide variety of hand-poured outsoles, produced in-house, that they use towards recrafting second-hand vintage shoes (or for customizing your own pair).
Bill’s Shoe Repair
Location: Lufkin, TX
Est.: 2018
Mail-in Service: Yes
Bill’s is named after owner and cobbler John Fernandez’s late father, who was also a cobbler and was a huge source of inspiration for John getting into the trade. Bill’s tackles all kinds of shoe repair, but they’re first and foremost specialists in repairing Western boots.
Totem Lake Shoe Repair
Location: Kirkland, WA
Est.: 2000
Mail-in Service: Yes
Cobbler Scott Hays has roughly 30 years of experience in shoe and leather restoration, and his shop (which he manages with his wife, Lori) works on all sorts of footwear from White’s, Red Wing, and many kinds of other work and Western boots, along with orthotics. Totem Lake Shoe Repair is a go-to repair shop for the department stores of the area—Nordstrom was one of their biggest clients and referral sources at one point—and Scott has modeled his customer service approach after Nordstrom’s: his customers are his number-one priority.
Georgio’s Bottega
Location: Fresno, CA
Est.: 1963
Mail-in Service: Yes
Arsen “Georgio” Sheklian took the reins of this shop after his father (the elder Georgio) became unable to continue working, and he is not only a skilled cobbler in his own right, but also a bespoke shoemaker and shoe pattern engineer. Along with offering a variety of their own leather goods and footwear, Georgio’s provides a full suite of shoe repair options, using high quality products like La Querce sole leather, and also stocking rare products from brands like Cat’s Paw and Biltrite.
Revive Shoe Repair
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Est.: 2019
Mail-in Service: Yes
Aaron Garcia says his shop was almost a Covid casualty, As opening just before the pandemic hit led to a very tough time attracting customers. Luckily, posting work on his YouTube channel helped significantly ramp up business, and when you watch you can see why. Aaron has over a decade of cobbling experience, and uses it to great effect to resole and resurrect all kinds of beat-up, run-down footwear from brands like Red Wing, Thorgood and Danner, using outsoles from Vibram as well as Dr. Sole.
EBR Leather Craft
Location: Brighton, MI
Est.: 2019
Mail-in Service: Yes
Ron Burke has been in the shoe industry for around 24 years, including managing a shoe store before spending the last decade as a full-time cobbler. Ron works with outsoles from brands such as JR and Dainite, and loves working with each customer to meet their individual needs, whether it’s a straightforward resole job or to create a statement piece.
BKB Leather
Location: Lawrence, KS
Est.: 1987
Mail-in Service: Yes
Bruce K. Barlow began his career strictly working as a saddler, but as a wave of shoe repair shops closed in the 1990s, he bought up some tools and machines and learned to be a highly proficient cobbler. Bruce and his team have about 70 combined years of experience in shoe repair, and they love treating their customer base like family. As their site states, “we will HEEL you, save your SOLE, even DYE for you.”
Madison Shoe Repair
Location: Madison, WI
Est.: 2018
Mail-in Service: Yes
Madison Shoe Repair is a one-man shop operated by cobbler Michael Benters, who does all manner of repairs, and loves working on brands like Red Wing Heritage and Danner, both of which he also happens to carry in his store.
Unsung Repair House
Location: Nashville, TN
Est.: 2022
Mail-in Service: Yes
Unsung Handmade Shoes & Repair House is a newcomer, but Grant and Isaac Gustafson’s laser focus on high-quality welted footwear makes them something of a standout. Offering products from JR and Dr. Sole as well as less-common services like relasting and hand-stitching on outsoles, they emphasize communication and transparency with their customers to get their shoes looking exactly the way they want.
Boiler Room Shoe Repair
Location: Portland, OR
Est.: 2022
Mail-in Service: Yes
Rachael Thomas enjoys working with her hands; she has been a leatherworker for about 13 years, and a woodworker and metalworker for even longer. She also enjoys recraftable footwear! And loves introducing people to its quality and craftsmanship, typically offering to resole more common footwear with a Blake rapid construction. She carries products from Dr. Sole, and also offers OEM sole units from Solovair.
JD’s Shoe Repair
Location: Portland, OR
Est.: 2009
Mail-in Service: Yes
JD and her team are committed to helping their community repair and refurbish their shoes, while also advocating for shoes that are worth repairing! Not only do they undertake all kinds of repair projects—ranging from Doc Marten resoles to dog-chewed mishaps—but they also tackle tricky restoration projects on everything from vintage clothing to leather furniture. They carry JR soles as well as deadstock brands like Cat’s Paw and Biltrite.
Saleigh Mountain Co.
Location: Hermann, MO
Est.: 1983
Mail-in Service: Yes
Second-generation cobbler Molly Monahan runs this hidden gem with her mother Sally. Sally originally opened Saleigh Mountain with her husband back in the 80s, but they later closed the business for several years to raise their children; in 2010, Molly decided to bring it back to life. Whereas Molly is focused on repairing footwear of all kinds (most of her customers bring in work boots and cowboy boots), Sally crafts a variety of leather goods that range from purses to belts.
Busy Shoes
Location: Seattle, WA
Est.: 2020
Mail-in Service: Yes
John McNally opened Busy Shoes just a few years ago, but has over a decade of cobbling experience earned from working in repair shops that cater to department stores and boutiques. He specializes mainly in working on designer shoes, but he’ll gladly repair anything that can be fixed.
CANADA
Awl Together Leather
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Est.: 2021
Mail-in Service: Yes
With over ten years of combined cobbling experience, co-owners Tess and Ariss aim to bring shoe repair into the modern era, with a focus on accessibility, sustainability and quality. Other than shoe repair and restoration, they offer leather garment alterations and repairs, bag repair, re-dyes, visible mending/darning and custom leatherwork.
The Quick Cobbler
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Est.: 1932
Mail-in Service: Yes
Run by the Nijdam family—who have been working on shoes through four generations—The Quick Cobbler is known as an expert repair shop for work on Red Wings, Blundstones, Birkenstocks, and more. With multiple awards from the SSIA (including a Grand Silver Cup win by Ronald Nijdam in 2019 and another win by his son Patrick in 2023), and with repair options such as JR soles and combination heels at their disposal, The Quick Cobbler is ready for virtually any repair project you send their way.
Vince DeVito Shoes
Location: Nelson, British Columbia
Est.: 1926
Mail-in Service: Yes
This fourth-generation family-owned shop focuses on good craftsmanship and attention to detail to make their work comparable to a factory finish, and they also specialize in providing orthotics and other shoe and leather goods customizations. They are the only authorized repair center for Dayton Boots, and have ample experience working on stitchdown boots from makers like Viberg.
Timeless Shoe Repair
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Est.: 2013
Mail-in Service: Yes
You should be extremely confident sending your shoes to proprietor Martin Sugg, who’s won nine international shoe repair awards, including the SSIA’s prestigious Robert DiRinaldo Grand Silver Cup in 2021. With Martin’s 35-plus years of experience—and over a thousand different kinds of shoelaces in the shop!—Timeless Shoe Repair is worth the visit.
Heels ‘n’ Soles
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Est.: 1980
Mail-in Service: Yes
Owner Dan Frappier is an award-winning cobbler with over three decades of experience under his belt, and is a great choice if you’re looking to do a full recraft of your shoes or boots. Heels ‘n’ Soles stocks rare and beloved resole options such as Cat’s Paw heels, JR soles, and Triumph toe taps.
Dimar Shoe Repair
Location: Guelph, Ontario
Est.: 1987
Mail-in Service: Yes
Co-owned by cobbler Diego Hadarits and his son Pablo, Dimar Shoe Repair has been rebuilding and restoring new and vintage footwear of all kinds for the past 35 years. Not only do they offer JR soles and the entire Vibram catalog, but they are currently one of the only cobblers in Canada who regularly carry Dr. Sole products.
BC Shoe Repair
Location: Quesnel, BC
Est.: 2017
Mail-in Service: Yes
Tom Brooks approached a cobbler on the verge of retirement, asking if said cobbler could help him with an orthopedic buildup for his leg length discrepancy; the cobbler offered Tom to show him how he could do it himself. After a year and a half of spending weekends at the shop to learn, Tom bought the business, and now stays busy with all kinds of projects—mostly resoling pairs from the likes of Viberg, Red Wing, Meindl, Wolverine and more. He also offers leatherworking and alteration services, as well as skate sharpening, and he’s looking to expand more of his offerings in the future.
Poor Boy Soles
Location: Cobalt, ON
Est.: 2017
Mail-in Service: Yes
Matthew Johnson has about two decades of experience crafting shoes, which he originally learned to do completely by hand from a Mennonite shoemaker. After he and his wife Dana moved their family to Cobalt—a former Ontario mining town that is now a National Historic Site—his neighbors learned of his skillset and started bringing him shoes to repair. Today, Poor Boy Soles offers leather restoration services, a full suite of resole and repair options (including JR leather and deadstock Biltrite heels), and also all kinds of custom shoes and boots that are made-to-order. (Keep your eyes on their site, where they’ll periodically be offering stock runs of shoes as well.)
Fix-Em-Up Shoe Repair
Location: Barrie, ON
Est.: 2002
Mail-in Service: Yes
Corey Hiltz is a highly accomplished cobbler who has repaired shoes for over 27 years and won multiple SSIA awards in that time. Fix-Em-Up offers a wide variety of products from the likes of Vibram, Dainite, JR, and Biltrite (plus Dr. Sole coming soon!).
Sole Survivor
Location: Toronto, ON
Est.: 2013
Mail-in Service: Yes
Lorena Agolli took the plunge into running her own cobbler shop when the shop she had been working at was slated to close. At Sole Survivor, Lo and her team emphasize quality work delivered with honesty and integrity at affordable prices. Listen to her wonderful conversation with Ben on the Shoecast here.
REST OF THE WORLD
Kieran the Cobbler
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Est.: 2020
Mail-in Service: Yes
Kieran Organ previously worked for Australian chelsea boot titan R.M. Williams, but an interest in repairing his own shoes led him to eventually starting his own cobbler shop. Kieran primarily works on stitchdown and Goodyear welted footwear, and while he currently conducts his business from his modest Sydney garage, he welcomes anyone who wants to come hang out in person to talk shoes, denim, and other sorts of bits and bobs. TAKE HIM UP ON IT! Or just mail him your shoes, that’s good too.
Dr. Sole
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Est.: 2011
Mail-in Service: Yes
Other than making some of the coolest soles around, Dr. Sole also offers a whole slew of repair and customization options for your footwear through their Bench-Re-Built service. Be sure to read our interview with founder Chao-Yung Lin (parts one and two) for an in-depth look into the story of Dr. Sole.
Michael’s Shoe Repairs
Location: London, England
Est.: 1960
Mail-in Service: Yes
If there were superlatives for the cobblers in this guide, Michael’s Shoe Repairs would probably be a frontrunner for “Most Picturesque”—third-generation cobbler Andreas Hapeshis told us that their space has been used for ads, films, and has been photographed by Getty Images. On top of all that, they’re one of London’s top shoe repair destinations for fixing both men’s and women’s shoes. There’s over 80 years of combined repair experience shared by the Michael’s team, and they use a variety of high-quality leather and rubber sole products from brands like Dainite, JR, and Baker.
Willies Shoe Repair
Location: Pasig, Philippines
Est.: 2018
Mail-in Service: Yes
The eponymous Willie prides himself on delivering top-notch combined with quick turnaround times (currently around two weeks). While his shop has their hands full with Willie’s burgeoning line of boots—they look pretty damn good, by the way!—you can still send in your pair to be outfitted with new soles from brands like Vibram, JR, and Dr. Sole.
Have a favorite cobbler you absolutely love and trust but don’t see in this guide? Just shoot us an email at hello@stitchdown.com and we’d love to give them a look.