Owning it at the cobbler's

[suzanne]

This is not a story about dressing. Its a story about owning the situation.

Inevitably, my two favorite pairs of heels burned through their heel tips. Pure wear and tear, but I do think the manufacturer didn't use the best wear resistant materials. I would be broken hearted if I had to toss them, but fortunately, it's not hard to find a good shoe repair shop.

So after work, I took my shoes to the one I know best. I was 100% drab in my dirty work clothes. A tall blonde woman in a shoemakers apron greeted me. I presented my shoes and told her the problem. "Of course I can fix them. That's why we're here." And she wrote up the work order. At one point she asked me if they had been giving me trouble walking. "Not really" I answered, "But I can tell that the nail has broken all the way through." She told me they would be ready next Monday. I thanked her and left.

Just a boring, mundane exchange. But I like it for exactly that reason. The fact that they were my heels was a secondary fact of the conversation and Not A Big Deal to either of us. The shop is in a part of town where you would expect to see a lot of diversity and she didn't appear the least bit surprised by my very ordinary request. I guess I could have given a lame story about doing this being an errand for my wife, but the shoes are big enough to set off anyone's B.S. meter, so why bother?

[Crissy 107]

Suzanne, Great story about owning it. The more we do these things the more confident we become. What may seem daunting goes to easy peasy before long. Thanks for posting this!

[Tracii G]

Thats it just own it.
The shoe repair business is a dying art and finding a good shoe repair shop is not all that easy here in the USA.
I do have one I have taken shoes to to get repaired.
They have seen it all so to them its just another shoe and money for the business.

[docrobbysherry]

I own a lot of spike heels. When the heel tips wear out I quicky replace them using pliers and a small hammer.

I guess if I took them to a cobbler, I'd still own them?
Maybe I just don't like that term!

[Aaron Zwidling]

I don't know anything about the shop you went to but I suspect it is easier to get acceptance from businesses that provide services that are less popular than they were twenty or thirty years ago. Those businesses can't afford to miss out on any customers. I am not trying to one-up you but I had a somewhat related situation a few years back where I bought a strappy pair of Steve Madden high heel sandals online, and although I got the largest size available in that model when they arrived I just couldn't squeeze into them comfortably. I brought them into a shoe place and asked the female cobbler who owned the place if the straps could be altered so the shoes would fit me better. She told me yes she could do something with them, so right in the middle of the store I ended up having to slide me feet into the heels as I best I could while she sorted out where the shoes should be altered so they would fit me properly. There were two subsequent visits, one where I had to try the shoes on again while the shoes were still partially apart so the cobbler could determine whether her strap extensions would do the job, and a final visit to try on her finished work. No issues from staff or customers on any of the three visits that a guy was in a shoe repair place having his high heels repaired.

[Tracii G]

Its only an issue if the CD makes it one Aaron.

[Stephanie47]

Nice story. In this day and age of throw away anything and everything, where the heck did you find a cobbler?

[donnalee]

I have very hard to fit feet. I bought a pair of NOS heels off ebay which fit perfectly, but the heel caps were so old the disintegrated upon use. I was able to find a pack of 20 heel caps on ebay for cheap which I was able to glue in place, saving me considerable shoe repair costs.
Just another approach to the same problem.

[Sallee]

I don't think the cobbler even thought about it or you. She just asked a question and gender never entered her mind. Which Iguess is a good thing. Us CDs I think we are ones who notice it. I know in normal every day life I will answer or ask a question that may be attached to a pronoun which isn't right. I once at a support group refereed to some one as sir, we were both fully dressed. It just came out. I apologized profusely. It kind of like saying good morning as you pass some one in mid afternoon. Just a greeting

[Teresa]

Suzanne,
Lots of guys do have a shoe fetish even if they don't CD I bet she has many that go in to get shoes repaired . The guy that repaired the soles and heels on my boots wasn't phased at all by me openly telling him how comfortable they were , he did say they were very expensive Italian leather boots , he nearly dropped through the floor when I told him I paid £12.50 ( about $15.00 ? ) he said they must have cost ten times that when new .

[Heather Anne]

Over time I have taken about 4 or 5 pairs of shoes to get the bottom of the heel replaced. I had one pair that entire bottom sole on both shoes had to be replaced. Every time I went to the shoe repair store I was in guy mode. Never had a problem. A lot less expensive than buying new shoes. Problem is that some of the shoes I have I can no longer find on line.

[suzanne]

Firstly, I don't even think the sign on the door even says "cobbler", just shoe repair. Google "shoe repair" and you get a surprising number of hits. I got twenty just in my city.

[Rogina B]

I have a great cobbler close to us in Ft Lauderdale. Some years back ,when we first met, he told me "Honey,If you can wear it,I can repair it " LOL He is a lot of fun and easy to tease...He volunteered to put heavy duty full length zippers in my thigh high boots...and I gave him the pleasure of watching me put them on...I think some cobblers have a bit of a fetish for sure ! LOL

[Beverley Sims]

I think you gave an apt description of the problem.

When they are fixed they may never wear out again

[BTWimRobin]

Hi Suzanne,

This is such a cool story. Two adults having a conversation to fix a problem. Gender never entered the mix.

Robin