Thursday, January 10, 2008

Make it last

My husband was thrilled to find extra-wide Clarks boots at Goodwill, especially since they showed so little wear.

Except for one flaw, which he didn't discover until later. The stitching at the laces had come undone.

Now, my husband enjoys working on his shoes. He was ready to tackle the job himself until I pointed out our lack of heavy duty thread and needles.

We reluctantly phoned the shoe repair shop, located in the pricey shopping area nearby. One week and $6.50 later, the boots are ready to wear.

And now I have another frugal resource in my arsenal!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

A good find! And the $6.50 is almost nothing to bring those boots up to top condition. I have to admire your husband's spirit & willingness to try to tackle the repair himself...I always like people who show a "can do" attitude!

Brenda

anya* said...

oh thats a great deal! my husband found a brand new pair of nikes (with a nordstom rack price tag still attached) last spring- he was so proud of his find! and i was too.

Queen of Carrots said...

I love shoe repair shops! I've had the same brown walking shoes for eight years, with a $5-10 resole job every 2-3 years. And they still look and feel great.

Ann @TheAssetEdge said...

It makes me laugh that both of our families have been stitching up shoes this week! Your husband's task sounds a lot more difficult than mine was though! Happy shoe wearing. :)

Anonymous said...

Aren't shoe shops wonderful? They're good for repairing purses and backpacks as well. Usually, the repair/maintenance is much more cost-effective than buying new (esp. since my hubby works 2 doors down from a shop that gives him a discount), although we once checked on having my husband's leather jacket repaired (it was a Christmas gift) and the cost of THAT cost more than a new jacket. :S

Anne Marie@Married to the Empire said...

As someone with small, narrow, hard-to-fit feet, a shoe repair shop is a necessity! I'm able to hang onto my expensive shoes practically forever with just a few dollars spent every couple of years.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it's definitely worth it to spring for a repair. A few years ago, DH discovered that his suit pants were a bit too snug. We took the pants to an alterations shop. For $9, they let out the pants and the suit was saved!

Tread Softly said...

woo hoo! Good second-hand clothes and shoes for men can be hard to find. Making them last is good sense, especially if you find a good local business to support in the process.