When I was young, I remember my mom taking me to the mall to visit the Shoemaker.  It was much more common back then to have your shoes repaired.  I remember my mom getting Taps on her shoes to protect the heel and make the shoes last longer.  I did a bit of internet research and was surprised to find that Shoemakers still exist, although not in quite as large numbers as thirty years ago.

Everyone has that pair of shoes that they love.  It is hard to part with a pair that fit well and are comfortable.  Recently, my employer  adopted a casual business attire policy.  After five years of being able to come to work dressed in t-shirts and sneakers, this left me scrambling for an appropriate work wardrobe.   I went to thrift stores mostly, and picked up a wonderful pair of shoes.  They have a block heel and were extremely comfortable for a dress shoe.  One of the problems I encountered was getting used to walking in dress shoes.  I scuffed up the back of the heel pretty badly and the sole began to separate from the shoe.  I was not ready to give them up, so I share with you my first pair of “Upcycled” shoes.

 

This was a total experiment, but I figured I had nothing to lose since I could not wear them in their present condition.  The first repair made was to the sole.  I used a high temperature hot glue gun to adhere the sole back on the shoe.  I used two sticks and applied generously.  I put my hand inside the shoe to apply pressure, while the glue dried.  I then painted the heels with black acrylic paint.  Once the heels and soles were dry I applied a layer of Mod Podge with a paint brush,  I then added another layer of polyurethane for added protection.

 

 

So far they are holding up well despite the repairs.  The true test will be the hot glue and every day wear.