A half-sole is the layer of leather or rubber material that is on the bottom of your shoe or boot, it extends from the toe to the arch of the foot. The length varies based on what type of shoe you have. It can also be referred to as the out-sole.

It is possible that when removing the half-sole the exposed midsole could be very old and deteriorated. If this is the case, additional midsole repair work will need to be done.

The cost of fixing your shoes or boots depends on what needs to be done. The most common repairs are to replace the bottom layer of the heel ($20-40 depending on the size of the heel) and put new soles on the front part of the shoe (not including the heel, $35-$65). Full resoles, including the heel, costs $100 and comes with a courtesy cleaning. Check out our services page for some other common costs and fixes. Ultimately the cobbler will need to see the shoes in person to provide a consult on what repairs are needed. Bring them in during business hours to get started!

Generally speaking, your item can be repaired if the material is structurally sound and it is not crumbling. Sometimes the only way to tell is to open up the item and see what it looks like inside- unfortunately if your item's interior (e.g. under the sole of the shoe, or inside of the purse's seam) is crumbling, falling apart, breaking or cracking, then it is too far gone to repair. This means you took a risk and you will not be able to have the item return to the state you brought it to us in, AKA your item will likely need to be thrown away. This is not our intention and we recommend you make this decision carefully- do you want to wear those favorite boots 5 more times until they fall apart, or do you want to risk opening them up for a repair that could make them last another year or 5... but could ruin them now if they aren't structurally sound enough to actually complete a repair.

The welt on a shoe is a piece of material that is used to attach the upper part of the shoe to the sole. The material used is an indicator of the quality build of the shoe: leather is higher quality and tends to have real stitching through the upper, welt, midsole, and sole, whereas a rubber or plastic (the latter being the worst quality) may be stitched but can also be fake-stitched and only glued. These materials run the risk of cracking, too, which means they will need the welt to be replaced in order to resole them.

It's important to check your shoes out about once every few months, looking at the layers that make up the sole and see if there's any place that is thin and potentially getting close to wearing through a second layer. The most common areas to notice this are on the end of the heel and the toe of the shoe or ball of the foot. There's often a preferred side when walking, or one side that drags on the ground a bit more, so check both shoes for abnormalities or thin spots. You want to send them into your cobbler before wearing through a layer. Once you wear into the welt, there might be need to replace the welt; similarly, if you wear through the bottom layer of the heel into the heel stack, you may need to have the heel stack rebuilt. These are doable if the shoes are not too old, but they will cost a pretty penny extra and are ultimately avoidable if you check your shoes regularly. Other preventative measures are to keep your leather shoes saddle soaped every few months to clean and condition them, preventing drying and cracking, and helping them last longer. And per usual, we recommend buying a recommended brand of shoes that are quality made, so they last longer and can withstand repairs.

Zippers with sliders and teeth in good shape may need to be cleaned and that is all. Zippers with teeth that are bent out of shape or peeled away from the fabric they're attached to will need a full zipper replacement. Zippers with teeth that are not damaged may simply need the slider replaced. Zippers are complicated to some extent and it's best to bring them in so the cobbler can assess what needs to be done. 

The instep is the upper part of the shoe between the crook of your ankle and the big toe's metatarsal bone. It is the top side of your foot's arch, in other words. People who have high arches likely have tall/high insteps and they may need shoes or boots without adjustable laces or Velcro to have the instep stretched. This process is done slowly over one to two weeks. Check out our services page for some other common costs and fixes. Ultimately the cobbler will need to see the shoes in person to provide a consult on what repairs are needed. Bring them in during business hours to get started!

You can have your shoes stretched by width, instep, toe box, or length. Shoe stretching effectiveness depends on the material of the shoe. Leather shoes and boots will have the most give and success. Sneakers and cheaply made plastic or cloth shoes will have the least give and success with this process. Check out our services page for some other common costs and fixes. Ultimately the cobbler will need to see the shoes in person to provide a consult on what repairs are needed. Bring them in during business hours to get started!

Birkenstocks can be repaired of various issues. The most common repairs are resoling and gluing down any delamination of the leather from the cork bed. The delamination is often caused from water and or heat exposure. Check out our services page for some other common costs and fixes. Ultimately the cobbler will need to see the shoes in person to provide a consult on what repairs are needed. Bring them in during business hours to get started!