Fabulous shoes!

[OrchidFlakes]

I'm thinking of training to become a shoe repairer and opening a little shop near where I live.

I want to specialise in designer shoes, Louboutin et al. For those of you that have these fabulous little darlings, would you send them away to be repaired, re-soled, re-heeled etc in favour of your local high street shop? I would look to work with the brands becoming a recommended repairer, using their products etc.

Before I start doing huge research, coatings etc I just wanted to get a feeling from people like me with a shoe fetish

Well I would and have done!

BUT

Couple of other things to think about.

How are you going to quote for prices? when I had mine done it has always been a pita, but one time I sent about a billion photos back and forth to get an idea on price.

You need to find a very good shipping and insurance service.

Its better if people can come to you with their shoes (I have traveled to get someone to look at some shoes befor)

Consider speciality fabrics. EG. I have the most gorgoeous pair of hand died swayed shoes, that need re lacing with the same colour swayed laces and hand made tassels

I have a pair of hand made boots which are made out of crushed velvet that really could do with some work but I can find anyone that can do it.

I hate it when I get shoes resoled and the workmanship is poor and basically it ruins the shoes.

The more expensive the shoe the longer people tend to take in choosing them ie the better the fit and often they are very sentimental about their shoes

See if you can find some good side line products as well. ie good coatings to stop water damage, shoe boxes, shoe bags, Fillers (to stop much loved shoes getting crushed in suitcases) etc.

HTH

Fabulous advice, thank you so much inneed What needs doing to your velvet boots?

I too hate sloppy craftsmanship, my Louboutins were practically ruined before I found an amazing man whose repaired and restored them - I almost hugged him!

Loving the idea of a sideline... I know a boutique courier I would probably look to use...

They have sadly come apart. The Sole and the upper have seperated I hade them made for my wedding in the same colour fabric as my dress they are a sort of victorian ridding boot style high healed and gorgeous but I think they are going to have to be put away now!

Might have to get something similar as I love the style!

location is another one to think about, the more shoe orintated the better, london, cheltenham, oxford etc etc areas would work well.

Oh and please also look at "evening shoes" you know the proper black tie eveing shoes they are so hard to get repaired. Tend to be tiny little afairs held together with nothing and sky high.

Oh and something else I had done once, but a little lady in Milan I think. I had had a dodgy repair done (by a so called professional) which was obvsious and detracting from the shoes. So she covered the area in diamonties made a abstract patern and repeated it on the other shoe, etc. They were fab and got loads compliments.