I have a pair of boots that I adore. They've been one of my winter footwear staples since Mike bought them for me four years ago. Much dressier than my taste in boots usually runs, they have a flat sole, come up to mid-calf, with a substantial enough heel that I a) look a few inches taller in them and b) don't wobble when I wear them. In January I noticed an odd clicking, rattling sound when I walked, and I soon found out that it was because the sole on the heel had a wee hole in it that had apparently let in a piece of gravel or something. By the time February rolled around, it had become painfully clear that either the boots needed to be fixed or I needed to get a new pair. I hate shopping for shoes almost as much as I hate shopping for jeans, and since the only thing wrong with the boots was the rapidly growing holes in the soles (heh), I wanted to bypass replacing them if at all possible. One of the two local shoe repair places happens to be located in the shopping center right in front of my neighborhood, so I took them there, explained what I wanted, and was overjoyed to hear they could indeed resole the heels of my boots. $21 and two weeks later, they look fantastic. Not only did the cobbler put new soles on the heels, he also polished the boots so they look like a brand new pair.
I'm glad I went that route for a couple of reasons: 1) I didn't have to go shoe shopping, (yay!), 2) I was able to repair something I had, which kept me from having to buy something new, and 3) I like being able to support local businesses. The fact that I can walk to drop off and pick up any future shoe repairs I might have is a plus, too.
