Succor for Soles and Souls

For my Phoenix area reader segment, have a gander at this shoemaker review from New Times publisher's online Transplants To Phoenix Examiner columnist Susan Rienzo,"A Shoe Repair Shop That Restores Soles AND Souls".

In many of the traditional old neighborhoods that a lot of transplants escaped from, there was a shoe repair shop. In my former hometown, it was run by an Italian guy with a strong accent and a stronger attitude. He always took Wednesdays off. When my best friend and I were in high school, we used to joke that he did so in order to play golf with all the doctors. God, we were brats! Anyway, in this throw-away culture, shoe fixers in the Valley are few and far between. Someone who takes pride in their work and does things the old-fashioned way is even harder to find.

But when the strap on one of your cutest, most favorite sandals breaks (and you know it will), fear no more... Affluent Scottsdale Shoe and Luggage Repair at 10855 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard (Suite 108), just north of Shea, provides quality work and so much more. The shoemaker, Rick, is a man who will practically rebuild a beloved purse, or pocketbook as they say in New Jersey, that another "fixed" in a slipshod way. (The only reason 'purse repair' isn't also in the shop's name is that it would be too long to fit on a sign.)

I had a recommendation of my own, which I'll reproduce here, from the comments section of the Examiner post:

So nice to read about a shoemaker and handbag repair store! Okay, I self-edited because I say "pocketbook" instead of handbag too!

I was raised in Arizona and New Mexico. After some years in California, I finally moved to New York City. I became accustomed to the convenience and savings from the shoemaker's shop two blocks from my tiny apartment in Gramercy Park.

Resoling shoes, restitching a fancy leather belt or pocketbook that was perfect otherwise, replacing raw hide laces, or adjusting woven leather sandals straps that would've cost $75 to repace, but merely $10 to repair like new): shoemakers do that and much more. I purchased rubber galoshes with ankle snaps to wear over my shoes for the winter, so that gray icy slush wouldn't pour over the tops of my work heels.

Overly tight shoes could be stretched and become comfortable again. Tiny holes in supple fur-lined leather gloves would be stitched while I waited. I even chose to have a cocoa brown suede skirt purchased from Saks Fith Avenue, and far too long for me, but with elaborate scalloped hemline, hemmed by my shoemaker! Most seamstresses were not eager to alter suede. Amazingly, my shoemaker, on the southwest corner of Third Avenue and East 23rd Street in Manhattan, even re-cut the scalloping in the hem!

In these days of "sustainabile technology", the shoemaker's services are what we need. Thank you so much for your article. And your readers comments too! I'm not the only one, there ARE others who remember!

For Central Phoenix residents far from Scottsdale, here's a suggestion: Try Colonnade Shoe Shop & Repair, on 1925 E. Camelback Rd, Ste D136 adjacent to Fry's Grocery on E. Highland and 20th St in Phoenix. I'm just getting to know them, but "so far so good"! Phone number is (602) 212-0784. A bonus feature which I appreciate is that they are open Sunday through Friday, 9:30am through 5:30pm, closed on Saturday. It is so very convenient to find a small business with hours on Sunday!

For additional corroboration, you may want to check out the recent reviews for Colonnade Shoe Shop posted on Yelp.


Post title courtesy of the Dept of Questionable Puns.