Can these shoes be saved?

November 18, 2014 1:29 PM

My lovely open-toed Camper shoe had an encounter with an unpaved parking lot resulting in a big gouge through the leather exposing the blue foam underneath. I took it took my local cobbler and all he could do was glue the sticking-out bit of foam down so it sticks out less. The blue gouge is still prominent. What can be done to repair/refashion these shoes? Considering DIY options but suspect I'd get better results leaving it to a professional. Pics inside.

The shoes
Closeup of the damage pre-glue
Closeup of the damage post-glue

I think they'd look great with a contrast leather or metal cap over the toe area, or even a full toe cap if that's possible (I might wear them more often if they were closed-toed.) I'm located in Seattle but would consider sending them somewhere. The shoes cost under $150, my budget is not tight but not unlimited.

posted by doift to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (3 answers total)

I'd ask a high-end shoestore or maybe Nordstrom's/Neiman's which cobbler they use. Not all of them are created equal by any stretch and an excellent cobbler can work miracles.
posted by quince at 1:44 PM on November 18, 2014

Yeah, that seems like a poor repair. Try a better cobbler. Maybe Broadway Shoe Repair?
posted by jeffamaphone at 3:34 PM on November 18, 2014

A better repair place, or if you don't want to hoof it around talking to a ton of different places, a DIY option would be a leather repair kit like is sold for furniture. Example, though I have no experience with a brand to recommend, i.e. I've done this on a sofa and it worked okay, and I could imagine it working on your shoe, but I have no idea what brand kit I used or what brand is good.
posted by aimedwander at 4:28 PM on November 18, 2014