Any shoe owner knows the sole might wear out before the rest of the shoe, especially if you had your hands on a pair of premium quality footwear. The good news is that resoling is a cheap method to get more use out of your shoes while simultaneously keeping the uppers out of the landfill. In this section, you will learn when shoes can be resoled, what kind of shoes can be resoled, how resoling is done, how much does it cost to resole shoes and where to take the shoes to be resoled.

When to Get Shoes Resoled

One question people always have a hard time asking is when the best time is to take their shoes to the cobbler for a resole. If the soles are starting to peel or have cuts on them, that means that soles need to be changed. However the exterior of the soles could seem fine the inside could be worn out giving less grip and less cushioning.

If your soles are worn out, then chances are, you may start experiencing pain or discomfort on your joints, most notably on the feet when walking long distances. Furthermore, the consequences of uneven wear make your gait uncomfortable. Another simple sign is when there is some sort of traction felt on the soles of the shoes, this is normally accompanied by a warning sign that the soles need changing. If you realize that your shoes soles have worn out then congratulations, this means that they can be resoled.

What Shoes Can Be Resoled

Not all shoes can be resoled. Again, the issue of whether a shoe can be resoled is a function of the design and structure of the shoe in particular. Those shoes that feature cup sole normally do not have the option of being resoled. It is cemented to the leather uppers, and as most of the manufacturing processes, its removal damages the leather and so makes replacement impossible. Cup soles are particularly applied on sneakers and casual shoes as their construction is easier, quicker and cheaper compared to Blake Stitch or Goodyear Welt.

If using a Blake Stitch, the uppers are directly sewn to the outsoles with stitches noticeable on the insides and bottoms of the shoes. Blake Stitch shoes can be resoled but it takes up more time and more money because a cobbler requires a Blake Stitch Machine to do so.

The Goodyear welt is one of the simplest forms of construction and is one of the most robust methods out there. When Goodyear constructing, one or two pieces of leather known as the welt is stitched on the bottom part of the shoe where the outsole and the upper come into meet. Two additional stitches are then used to A) join the welt to the outsole and B) join the welt to the uppers and the insole where applicable. Among all the Goodyear constructed shoes, it is much easier to resole welted shoes.

How Does Resoling Work?

In resoling process the used stitches are cut off from the outsoles and the upper, midsole and insole if the insole is stitched up to now. This is the area where stitched develop before joining the outsole to uppers and the area will be scoured and prepared for new welt and sole to be placed. An outsole is joined to it using the same sowing pattern that used at stitching the prior outsole.

In most cases, it’s wise to replace the insoles together with the soling process since they are most probably worn out as much as the shoe soles. However, insoles don’t get worn in the same way that outsoles get worn down but the insole material may begin to degrade and lose its shape.

Resoling Cost

The resoling cost varies by brand and model, and also depends on the type of construction used. Generally speaking, resoling will cost less than $100.

Where to Get Shoes Resoled

Talk to the manufacturer of the shoe to check that they can be resoled and get a list of approved cobbler providers. Cobblers can be found almost in every city, yet since there are so many types of shoes and ways they are constructed, the manufacturer should be consulted, or one should make sure that the resoler knows how to work with the specific brand and model of the shoes in question. Shoes accompany us wherever we go, therefore, it does pays to look after them.