r/AskACobbler

Hello! I have these pair of pleather(?) boots that are my all time favorite, and I just noticed today they are starting to flake. I knew about the scuff on the toe of the left shoe, but the rest is new. I know you can’t stop the flaking entirely, but is there a way to slow it? Or help it look better? I take very good care of all my shoes so this has me a bit stressed. I’ve also only worn them on normal clear days, I don’t wear them if it’s going to rain, not sure if this is helpful information haha. Thank you so much for any help!

I recently went thrifting and found this pair of timbs for like $12. The body looked pretty good to me and they were in my size. I noticed the tears on the soles but I decided not to pass it up. I’d like to wear them but I fear that they would tear more. What can I do to seal or fix up these tears on the side of the soles? I’m most worried about the one with a giant hole.

hello! I've got this old pair of demonias that are torn at the body. i'm completely clueless about shoe repair but would like to tackle this issue myself in order to learn from it. im looking for advice on what the best approach would be to fix this gnarly tear on one of two demonia boots. a photo of the non damaged boot is also included.

would appreciate any advice on how to tackle this myself. thanks!

Spilled some dark beer on my leather dress shoes at a wedding, didn’t notice until the next day. Is there a way to get the stain out?

My second pair that I’ve done a half soles too on. I only had a pocket knife and I learned the first time that it’s smother to apply pressure after fully treated instead of slicing like a saw. Any pointers for next time?

Is it fixable?! Stumbled on this awesome example! Sergio Alberini fixes this wrecked pair of boots!

Fun fact you probably did not know: Calzolaio is Italian for Cobbler. The language however does not differentiate between Cobbler, Shoemaker, or Cordwainer like English does!

this is my favorite shoes and i wear it every day. only the right pair(?) of the shoe is damaged like in the photo. i might sound stupid as hell but can i still fix this? i know it is a very cheap pair of shoes, but it has sentimental value and i just can't toss them away. i'm not a person that owns dozens of sneakers (if you can't tell already), so i'm unsure as to how i should fix this to keep wearing it... 🥹☹️

please be nice in the comments 🙏🫶💜

Hi Guys!

Which color is this one ? Chestnut ?

Thanks!!

Hello! Recently came into these vintage “Carnaby London Power” heels, one of which is missing the rubber heel end (first picture) and the other heel is loose (pulled out to provide the following example pictures)

The rubber heel is a 3-prong 1-inch heel with a ”76” written on the interior.

What should I look for when buying replacement rubber heels, or is this something that will require a cobbler’s assistance?

Bought these on clearance and can't find the receipt so can't return. They are suede uppers but have developed an internal squeak after 1 month inside the sole. They still squeak when insole is removed. Can a cobbler fix these or is the squeak forever?

I got these new Ralph Lauren Suede Reynold Driver’s Loafers.

I haven’t worn them yet, only a little bit (less than 90 minutes, at home; so they could expand a bit and take the shape and form of my foot).

I’m trying to figure out if there’s anything i gotta do before starting to wear this outside, I’m thinking of wearing those for long city center walks on concrete .. and I don’t want the shoe rubber/nubs go wiped out..

(I don’t really care about the shoes, because i got them at an 80% discount; but i don’t want the sole to wear down instantly)

Thank you in advance.

These have only been worn a handful of times but the eyeholes are ripping. Are they worth trying to get repaired? Not a cheap pair of sneakers. Thank you!

It it ruined? How do I fix this? I have put cream on my shoes, polished them with horsehair brush and like 10 minutes later I tried spraying them with waterproofing spray. I know I shouldn’t have done that at all, but I did. I think I might have sprayed too close, because it looks as if the spray melted the wax layer off of the shoe.

What should I do now? These are monks bought in Kazar, supposedly good leather.

Hello! First time posting here.

I got some VanLier, I think brogue, dress shoes at a local second hand store today. For the price I took them immediately and they fit relatively well.

They seem to be in good shape, but I am worried about the front part of the sole, under the toebox. It seems to have been worn down to the stitching. Does it look bad? Does it need to be repaired before I use them?

Thanks in advance!

I’ve had these boots for about 6 months now. Recently, the creases have started turning into cracks. I’ve had them polished a couple of times before, and just got them polished again today, but I’m not sure it’s worth continuing at this point. They’re in pretty rough shape, and I’ve already had to patch a crack forming at the bottom where the upper meets the sole. Is it worth continuing to polish and repair them, or are they inevitably going to keep tearing? Not sure if I want to keep investing in them if they aren’t going to last.

The circle crack in the middle, that whole piece of leather insole came out, was going to use barge glue for repair, do I fill in the cracks around it also??

I bought these shoes around December 2025 and for me they were pretty pricey. Definitely some of the most expensive boots I've ever bought at around 180 USD. I know you can spend a lot more on shoes, but from my perspective these were pretty expensive.

I used them for 6 months and then the side wall simply let go like you see in the pictures. I admit I should have greased them more often, but in those 6 months I greased them twice and they didn't show any signs of being dry. No cracking or anything like that.

Shoe store blamed me for not greasing them and said leather shoes don't last any longer unless greased at least once every month.

Is this accurate? It seems very odd to me that any shoes would break that fast, with or without regular maintenance.

They also said I could either get half my money back to use in their store or I could get the old shoes back, but not both. They at least let me take these pictures.

As a side note; I got a pair of doc martens in high school which I have used on and off for 20 years with zero maintenance and they're still going strong. They're starting to crack in areas that crease a lot with use, but they're still perfectly wearable. Those were cheaper than the ones that broke after 6 months.

I usually own one pair of shoes at a time, wear them until they fall apart. This particular pair I’ve really liked and would love to just get them repaired.. Do you think they are salvageable??