Fox Valley Shoe Repair:

Fox Valley Shoe Repair:

1036 Fox Valley Center
Aurora, IL 60504
630-898-1919

Repair of athletic shoes, fine shoes, Birkenstocks, orthopedics, handbags, leather belts, luggage, boots, & jackets.

Time to complete work varies by type of work & item. Small repairs while you shop or wait, larger repairs can take from a couple of days to two weeks, depending on stocking of materials.

I took a 2006 pair or size 14 Merrell "World Leader" shoes into the shop for repair.


Initial condition of shoes:
The leather upper was in good condition, well-polished and intact, as were the inserts and laces.

The soles had a quarter-sized hole worn through on the left shoe, and a similar hole nearly worn through on the right. The left shoe leather upper had also come un-stitched from the sole for about 4-5" around the toe at the front of the shoe.

These shoes are a great favorite of mine, looking great when freshly polished, and in a classic style that Merrell no longer manufactures. They originally cost $100.00 and lasted for nearly three years before needing work.

The repair:
*Note: I had previously taken a pair of Merrell shoes of similar construction but differing style to this shop for the same repairs. The repairs at that time were structurally sound, but weren't able to preserve the looks of the shoes. The shoes are still serviceable for work and very casual use today.*

I requested that the toe be re-stitched to the sole, and that new rubber soles be glued on. I also specifically requested that the work be geared toward preserving the original look of the shoes as closely as possible.

The result:
This pair of shoes turned out beautifully. They're not completely perfect, but I don't believe perfection is possible, because the upper sole structure that holds the stitching to the leather uppers was somewhat damaged. For the condition of the shoes I brought in, I am extremely happy with the result. The total cost to repair the stitching and re-sole the shoes was $50.00.

*Note: the shop requires half the cost of repairs over $20.00 in advance, and half upon pickup. Repairs $20.00 or under are required to be full paid in advance.*

Time to repair:
The repair took 1.5 weeks from the time I brought the shoes in. The shop owner originally ordered soles identical to those used on my older pair of Merrell "World Piece" shoes. Unfortunately, those soles didn't fit. A second pair of soles had to be ordered, same brand, a bit different style and heavier-duty. The soles finally used are the same soles the shop uses to repair military and police boots, designed for long-duration and comfort with extensive walking.

The shop did call me to arrange a later pickup date of my repaired shoes in order to accommodate shipping of the new soles. When I arrived on the morning of the pickup, the shop was still working on the shoes, and I had to wait an additional 45 minutes. The shop compensated me for the wait by kindly including a spare pair of color & style-matching shoe laces at no additional cost.

The wait was completely worth it in my opinion. I am most pleased with the result.

Tip: Bring in shoes for repair as clean and as well-polished / shined as you are able to. This visually states that you care about the appearance of the shoe. If you bring in a pair of salt-crusted, bedraggled, and stained old shoes, don't expect the shop to take you as seriously as if you made it completely obvious that you care about the appearance of your shoes by doing this. State clearly that you want the work to look as good as possible as well. If you tell the shop something like "just make them wearable," that can be interpreted as caring about function over fashion.

Rating: Five stars for quality of service and clear communication.
*****

Pictures of the completed shoes will be added in a separate post by tomorrow.

http://www.archive.org/download/ReviewsYouCanUsePodcast00001/001_a_015_danStafford_reviewsYouCanUse00001_2009_02_04.mp3

Thank you for reading.

Dan