Shoe Hospitals

Discussion in Fashion & Apparel started by Dora M • Jul 24, 2015.

  1. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    For some reason I am very attracted to "shoe hospitals". They are quite common in the country I live, as many people can't afford to buy new shoes or rather have their old ones repaired. I just went to one of these "hospitals" last week and ordered a couple of new orthopedic insoles. I love the way I can just go to any of these places with a pair of old insoles and say: "Can you make me another pair like these?" And within a few days I have my replicas. I would have to pay at least three times or four times more for a new pair of those special kind of soles that I need.
    Do you have any "shoe hospitals" where you live, and how often do you frequent them?
     
  2. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

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    No we do not have "shoe hospitals" in my area, it sounds like a good think and something I would use if we did have them here. What is the difference between a "shoe hospital" and a shoe repair shop? I do get my shoes repaired but it is getting hard to find these types of shops as most people just replace their shoes instead of repairing them.
     
  3. DancingLady

    DancingLadyActive Member

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    No, we don't have those. We have shoe repair places and custom show makers. Often a shop will do custom shoes, repairs, insoles, and other little things people might need. It's kind of a specialty store, but very handy if you lose a heal plate or wear out just the soles of a still good pair of shoes.
     
  4. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    No, we don't have those in my countries. But it sounds like a very interesting concept. I bet a lot of people with little money are so grateful to have them. In my country we have a lot of cobblers, some posh but some who sit under the tree. I have to say even the ones who sit under the tree are truly dedicated to their craft and it really shows because they actually do a fantastic job! Sometimes you really don't have to throw away shoes that can just as easily be restored to near perfect, especially if you really like them.
     
  5. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    I think a shoe hospital are a very interesting concept. Here in the United States we do not have many shoe repair shops at all. It is kind of a dying art. Some shoes are really quite expensive however, and repairing them is often the way to save money. I can only think of one shoe repair shop in a neighboring town..I have never been there, but if I had some shoes I really wanted to salvage...I would look into going there. New shoes can be quite expensive, and I do not want to pay more than I need to for shoes.
     
  6. Briannagodess

    BriannagodessActive Member

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    We do have some in our country and the most popular one is at a mall chain. We also have local shoe hospitals at flea markets or even near our village. They repair shoes and bags. We have used their services several times especially when the soles of our shoes are apart already! They do a nice job of tending them together and even for an affordable price.
     
  7. BrandonScooterman

    BrandonScootermanActive Member

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    In North America they are called cobblers, and they are a dying breed. Most people wear sneakers of just toss their old shoes out.
    It's shame we live in such a throw away society over here but I am glad to know some people still rescues dying shoes!
    I like to think you guys have shoe doctors and shoe nurses too!
     
  8. Sue

    SueActive Member

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    We don't have shoe hospitals in our country either. Sounds like a great business though. We do have shoe repair shops but they are few and far between. I guess the demand isn't there for them. People just go out and buy new shoes rather then repair the ones they have.
     
  9. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    They are called cobblers here in the UK too. They are actually experiencing increased trade over the past couple of years as more people seem to be mending things rather than buying new in these times of austerity.
     
  10. LeopardJones

    LeopardJonesActive Member

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    I’ve always wished we had a cobbler in my area. I do believe there used to be shoe repair services, but they went out of business ages ago, alas. Shoes can be super pricey, and I like to buy with both quality and style in mind. So being able to mend a pair of shoes I love, but have seen better days, would be great.
     
  11. danielle davidson

    danielle davidsonActive Member

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    Wow, that sounds awesome. We do not have something like this where I live, but I'm sure that it would be cool. I know that it would be so awesome because then you could get that stuff at better prices. I think that they should make more of those around the world.
     
  12. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    Yes, we do have one, and the most popular one is the Mr. Quickie franchise. Aside from repairing, dyeing and resoling shoes, they also offer bag repair and key duplication services.
     
  13. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    Yes, back home in New England they are called cobblers (the trade), or shoe repair shops. Down here in Texas, there is an actual shop brand called Houston Shoe Hospital:

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    I agree with @BrandonScooterman@BrandonScooterman it's a dying art, and I really prefer to save my good shoes and have them reworked. So many have brainwashed the young to believe new is better, and to throw out perfectly serviceable items when the fad has passed, which I find ironic, since so many of them claim to care about the planet.

    I used to wander into the cobbler shop by my home in New England, because I loved the smell of the leather. Cobbler shops are great places to pick up unique accessories, and the work is reasonable, especially if you have purchased quality shoes or bags/purses/luggage. They work on all of those items, and probably others, as well. Down here in Texas, custom boots and boot repair have probably saved the industry, but I'm afraid most of the people using those services are either middle aged to elderly, or those who can afford custom services. It seems many others aren't even aware the industry exists.
     
  14. KimmyMarkks

    KimmyMarkksActive Member

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    Yes! I call them shoe repair stores. I do the same as you. If i have a really nice pair of shoes I will often take it there and they will replace the insoles or fix the bottoms. I can't justify throwing them out and buying a new pair especially if their a good quality pair. The only types of shoes I don't fix are sneakers. I find that once my sneakers start wearing down I can feel it in my knees. I prefer to just buy a new pair.
     
  15. gata montes

    gata montesActive Member

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    Yes - although they are not called “ shoe hospitals “ where I live - we do have something very similar - which as they are manned by skilled and dedicated craftsman who do a wonderful job of repairing or revamping anything from shoes to bags, belts and suitcases - are extremely popular here - especially as the small amount they charge for repairs is worth every cent - when it saves having to replace reasonably costly items more often than is necessary..

    In fact - even though we often make use of these services to prolong the life of many items - as I can never justify discarding anything unnecessarily - we saved a huge amount from doing this only a couple of weeks ago - when my husband - who out of sheer desperation at not being able to find a replacement for his favorite Nike boots - popped into our local repairers - as a last resort - to ask if there was anything that could be done to salvage his - what looked like throw a way boots - much to our surprise they could be saved and a remarkable job they did too - as he now has what can only be described as a brand new pair of boots for around $15 - which is a fraction of what it would have cost to buy a new pair.
     
  16. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina IsobeWell-Known Member

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    :oops:We have what is called shoe repair shops here and there on Oahu. I ride the bus and often pass by the older places like Ft. St. Mall where a block before there is a shoe repair shop. When I have a pair of shoes that I really like and fit well I take them to the shoe repair shop to see how much it'l cost to get it repaired compared to what a brand new one cost. Sometimes the sale is so good that it's cheaper to get a new pair of shoes than repair them. I buy on the cheap for shoes, so for me it's more economical to get new ones.