I did but prompt the age to fix my clogs
January 21, 2015 4:58 PM   Subscribe

I did something stupid. I found the perfect pair of shoes and only got one pair. And now they're falling apart and the style is discontinued.

The clogs are Footprints Altons, licensed by Birkenstock, in case that matters. It is super-hard to find shoes that really fit me just right, but these do.

And that is why I loved them to death. The leather is mostly OK, but it is separated from the sole at one point on one shoe, and both soles are split from side to side right around where the balls of my feet hit. I think I must stand on my tiptoes a lot or something. Apart from that, they are not terribly damaged, though, which is weird. They also have removable insoles, which I think I can replace pretty easily.

I have already looked everywhere, and will continue to haunt eBay, but I haven't seen a pair in my size available, so I would really like to make this pair last a bit longer, at least.

So I'd like to figure out how to repair or replace, then reattach the soles. Birkenstock repair places do not generally have Footprints soles, so that's a very long shot, and they are unusual soles, so I'm guessing it'd be difficult to replace them with something generic. But I'm not picky, so I was actually thinking maybe I could just superglue the splits in the soles back together to get a bit more wear out of them, and maybe figure out how to work one of those leather stitching needles to reattach the one that separated. Is this doable? Are there alternatives that aren't TOO duct-tapey?

I would be very embarrassed to bring these into a shoe repair place because they're not fancy fixin' quality shoes really, plus there's a little leather damage, and it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that they could even really do. I mean, can they? Are cobblers mean? Would they yell at me?
posted by ernielundquist to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)
 
I'd take it to a shoe repairer, they know the value of a comfortable pair of shoes, and they might be able to repair the leather damage as well.

Finding the right soles might be an issue, he/she might be able to order one directly from the company, or through his wholesaler, or find a similar compatible style. (or better style)


Here's one from birkenstock express
posted by FallowKing at 5:15 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Cobblers are generally very nice and very focused on making your beloved shoes whole again. My cobbler often has plasticy heels and pleather boots in front of him and he treats every customer as if they brought in thousand dollar shoes. Worse comes to worst, they'll tell you they can't repair it, and then you're no worse off than you are now. Do see a cobbler or two or three first before trying to repair them yourself. I love my footprints boots, and they're a good company and worth trying to fix.
posted by umwhat at 6:41 PM on January 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


You are bringing the cobbler business. People who yell at customers for bringing in business tend not to stay in business very long.
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:21 PM on January 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


Agree with umwhat. If your shoes are nice enough not to have parts that are obviously made of cardboard, then they're nice enough to be worth taking in for fixing.
posted by clavicle at 7:09 AM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. I was mostly kidding about the mean cobbler scenario. Just a little bit self-conscious at the prospect of showing up with my flappy old shoes and admitting that I a) have been wearing them like this, and b) am going to continue to do so. So I may be wearing big sunglasses and a fake mustache or something, but I'll go consult with a cobbler, and if they say they can't do anything, I'll still try gluing and patching them up myself somehow.

And special thanks to whichever one of you wizards cast the spell that JUST put a pair up on eBay in the right size and color. I think I'm going to keep this old pair around even if I do get my hands on another, though.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:40 AM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I have brought Target shoes to a cobbler. He cut out the heel of the sole for replacement on a pair of pleather flats. I got another two years of life out of them. My cobbler is the BEST, and I bring him (much better quality) shoes at least twice a year. So if you end up talking to an asshole, go try a different place.
posted by aabbbiee at 10:48 AM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Further, Birkenstock makes shoes that are built to be fixed. They are unlike most other shoe companies that way. They manufacture replacement soles & etc. under their own name. They appear very committed to supporting long-term maintenance of their shoes.

I know this because my mother LOVES Birkenstocks and has worn them almost exclusively for 20+ years. We don't live in a big town, but our community apparently supports at least one cobbler that caters almost solely to Birkenstock repair (or at least advertises as though that is the case). I would look and see if there's one in your area as well.
posted by aabbbiee at 10:55 AM on January 22, 2015


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