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Willie's shoe services
801 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038
this is where i take my just about everything, and the level of price/quality is pretty difficult to match. the owner (i haven't been in in a while, and assuming he has not retired..) is a pushing-90 gentleman who has been working in shoemaking since his teens. he expertly restored my pieces from the early 1900's, taking their condition from 100 years of wear to looking pretty close to brand new. some of the repairs he performed were on damage so severe and unlikely that i honestly did not believe good results to be possible, and i've a fairly decent understanding of the process.
but yeah, this is the guy you want to take your shoes to if you feel like re-building your sole, etc. I've taken some rubber sole pieces or ground down to nothing heels to him to have those replaced with all new leather soles + additional rubber layers, anything you can think of really. you name it, he will do it. without asking an arm and a leg.
G, you need to intern with this guy. True, good, dedicated cobblers are a dying breed. I'd love to spend a month just watching a man like that and learning the skill
Willie's shoe services
801 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038
this is where i take my just about everything, and the level of price/quality is pretty difficult to match. the owner (i haven't been in in a while, and assuming he has not retired..) is a pushing-90 gentleman who has been working in shoemaking since his teens. he expertly restored my pieces from the early 1900's, taking their condition from 100 years of wear to looking pretty close to brand new. some of the repairs he performed were on damage so severe and unlikely that i honestly did not believe good results to be possible, and i've a fairly decent understanding of the process.
but yeah, this is the guy you want to take your shoes to if you feel like re-building your sole, etc. I've taken some rubber sole pieces or ground down to nothing heels to him to have those replaced with all new leather soles + additional rubber layers, anything you can think of really. you name it, he will do it. without asking an arm and a leg.
It would be interesting to see some before and after photos of his workmanship!
"Fashions fade, style is eternal." —Yves Saint Laurent
"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successfull personality and duplicate it."-Bruce Lee
Appreciate the southern california suggestion, Merz. I have a few pairs of shoes that really could use some repairs this summer so next time I'm up there I might drop them by.
Main question: I love the shape of these rick boots but I'm not really much a fan of distressed anything. How would these take to a black dyeing? My assumption is not well - especially since they're reverse calf leather and I'm guessing that even with a black dye it won't really eliminate the distressed look.
Can any of the frenchies on the board recommend a good cobbler in paris?
if you need to resole, I strongly recoment the cobbler on the Rue du Regard, near metro Saint Placide. I can't remember the exact adress or the name, but it's a short street and there's only one cobbler on it (it's on the left-hand sidewalk towards the end of the street coming from the metro). my dad only wears classical english shoes and this is his guy, he's made 20+ year old shoes look and feel brand new
well it really depends on what you need done.
There was a more than decent cobbler on the rue de l'arbre sec, but I don't know if he still exists. it's near les halles, maybe that's more convenient to you ?
I really just need some leather cleaned up a bit, and soles redone on a pair of Jean Michel Cazabat cuban heeled boots. I'm sure most cobblers can handle it, especially in Paris. I'll check out the one near Les Halles, that's definitely easier for me. Thanks.
There's a place called Quick cobbler that I just went to for the first time and they did a good job and seem to have some experienced people working there, I'd recommend it. By the cop station on Cambie.
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