Shoe restoration in NYC

October 5, 2009 5:45 PM

Where can I get a much-worn and much-loved pair of suede sneakers cleaned/restored in NYC?

They're pretty soiled but not damaged. The model has been discontinued and can't be found online, and this pair needs some end-of-life care.

posted by sonofslim to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

Best answer: Take them into Arty's and see what they think.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 6:01 PM on October 5, 2009

Here's the shoe repair section from a list I've put together over the years of NYC services. It's a few years old, so some of them may not be there, and it's more about quality than low price.

Andrade Shoe Repair, 320 Bleecker St.; 212-255-8863, good leather matching
Angelo’s, 228 Columbus Ave.; 917-441-3927, also resizing (up and down).
Angelos Shoe Restorer, 666 Fifth Avenue @53rd Street, 212-757-6364 – also clothing
Cobbler Express, 60 Wall St.; 212-809-9814
Empire Shoe Repair, 991 Lexington Ave.; 212-744-1257, old-world quality
Erik Shoe Repair, 353 Grand St.; 212-673-0507, fast, while you wait
Europe Shoe Repair, 113 E. 31st St.; 212-889-7258
Michael’s Shoe Repair, 319 Smith St.; 718-243-0288
Top Service, 845 Seventh Avenue @55th Street, 212-765-3190 – also buckle soldering
posted by KRS at 6:06 AM on October 6, 2009

Response by poster: Just dropped 'em off at Arty's -- will post back with the results. Thanks for the tip!
posted by sonofslim at 4:58 PM on October 6, 2009

Response by poster: Picked up my shoes, they're definitely cleaner and the suede has been restored to some of its former luster but I can't say it was a miracle restoration. (To be fair, these sneakers were pretty busted to begin with.)

On the other hand, I mentioned this to a friend and she brought them some broken clogs; apparently they took them apart and rebuilt them like the 6 Million Dollar Man. So final verdict is... YMMV?
posted by sonofslim at 8:00 PM on October 16, 2009