Resole

A resole replaces the entire sole of a shoe, rather than patching the worn spots on it — the single most common repair in this directory, and the one most likely to add years to a shoe's life instead of ending it.

What it involves, and what it costs

How much work it takes comes down to how the shoe was built. A glued rubber resole is quick and inexpensive; a Goodyear-welted or Blake-stitched resole on a dress shoe or boot means unstitching the welt and rebuilding it by hand, which takes longer and costs more. Either way the steps are much the same: the old sole comes off, the welt or midsole is assessed, new material is fitted to match the original sole type, and the edge is finished and dressed. Expect to pay from around $60 for a straightforward rubber resole up to $180 or more for a full welted rebuild, depending on construction and the sole material used.

Go early

If a favourite pair is wearing thin at the ball of the foot, have it looked at before the upper starts to go. Once you have worn through the sole and into the welt or the leather above it, resoling will not save it.

Resoling, resoled, sole replacement — same job

Whatever you call it — resoling, getting your shoes resoled, or a straight sole replacement — it's the same job. It applies to boots as much as shoes, and often makes more sense on a boot, since there's more upper left to save. Brands like Dr Martens, R.M. Williams and Blundstone are all built to be resoled; a Dr Martens resole in particular is usually one of the simpler jobs a cobbler will do, since the sole unit is designed to come off and be replaced.

Browse verified cobblers offering resole services below, filtered by your city.