Unusual Items I have repaired in the last few days

Sometimes I repair some unusual things:

1. Lawn Chair
2. 20 lb Medicine Ball
3. Christmas Shoes that had Santa Claus visible inside a clear heelbase
4. Some over-shoes for a Santa Claus Costume
5. Large orange ostrich Duney Burke purse
6. 8 Dog leases that have been chewed in half


These are a few things I can think of off the top of my head that customers usually don't know we can do.

1. Belts -punch holes, Shorten
2. Purses -shorten straps, punch holes, rivet straps, zippers, magnetic snaps, etc
3. Luggage- zippers, bottom studs, wheels, etc
4. Lower ladies high heels - if they are too high (there is a limit to how much you can lower)
5. Golf Bags -rivet the bottom back on, zippers
6. Back Packs - torn straps, plastic hardware, zippers

Store Hours For Christmas and New Years

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Store Hours for the Holidays:

December 24th OPEN
December 25th - 28th CLOSED
December 29th - 31st OPEN
January 1st 2009 CLOSED

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN 2008!! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU IN 2009.

Newspaper Article on Shoe Repair

Check us out in the paper! Look here!! http://www.theledger.com/article/20081126/NEWS/811260402&SearchID=73339277709523

Friends of the Park Medallions are Here

As a partner of Friends of the Parks we carry all the medallions for the TREK TEN TRAILS of Polk County, Florida. When you complete one of the trails, add the corresponding medallion to your walking stick, or just collect them. We carry Brazo Walking sticks and Canes and would be happy to install the medallion free of charge. The Medallions themselves cost $5.00+tax. The trails represented are the following: Fort Fraser Trail, Lakeland Highlands Scrub, Hickory Lake Scrub, Crooked Lake Prairie, SUMICA, Gator Creek Reserve, Saddle Creek Nature Trail, Lake Wales Trailway, Lake Hollingsworth, Auburndale TECO Trail .

Can You Stretch Shoes?

A Question I often hear...



Can you stretch shoes?


Yes, we can!!


Now, let's talk about what shoes stretch best and the areas we can stretch.


The material your shoes are made of will result in varying degrees of success.

1. Leather- stretches and holds the stretch the best
2. Fabric- will stretch fairly well, but not as well as leather
3. Man-made materials (vinyl, plastics)- do not stretch well, they are very elastic and want to return to their original shape.


Most people who have tight or snug shoes would just like them loosened up through the width. A Wooden Stretcher with Stretch fluid will do the job. Stretch fluid is sprayed on the leather upper. This opens the pores and allows the leather to relax and take a good stretch. The correct sized stretcher is inserted and then cranked out. As you crank, the two halves of the stretcher spread out. Crank it out until you feel good pressure on each side. There is a little metal piece, which I call a bunyonette, that you can place where needed on the stretcher for a little extra stretch in a specific area.


You can stretch most any area of the shoe: width, vamp, length. If a customer is complaining that their toes are rubbing the end of the shoe, can we give them a half size more length. Not likely. It's much easier to get more width than more length.

Can you stretch steel toed boots?

Sorry, but no. When purchasing steel toed boots always make sure your toes have plenty of wiggle room. That may mean going up a half size or a width. If your toes rub the steel in the beginning of that first day, you will be hurting at the end of the day and you will also be out a pair of boots!

Here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair we try to guarantee stretches. If you need more we will re-stretch your shoes at no charge. We will make sure you understand what to expect, and note any specific areas that are troublesome.

We recommend that if you have 3 or more pair of shoes that need some attention, go ahead and invest in your own stretcher and stretch fluid. They are built to last many, many years.

TIME TO GET YOUR LEATHER JACKET OUT OF THE CLOSET

AHHHHH! October in Florida means cooler weather. It's the time of year I really look forward to after a long summer. It's also the time to start pulling the winter clothes out of the attic and putting your leather jacket to good use.
Did you know we clean, repair, and alter leather garments? We send this work out to Leather-Rich, in my opinion one of the best leather cleaners and repairers on the planet. Look at this list of repairs we have had done in the last few months:
1. Main Zipper Replacement
2. A customer had a jacket that the sleeves were too long. We had the sleeves shortened.
3. Repaired a torn pocket that got caught on a door knob.
4. A customer caught his soft leather coat on a nail that made an L-shaped tear on the back. It was repaired to almost perfection.
5. This most recent repair was amazing. This customer borrowed a leather jacket from her friend to go motorcycle riding. She laid the jacket across the bike and the sleeve rested against the hot exhaust. Before she realized what happened it had melted, leaving a nasty burn mark. Imagine what your skin would look like if it had rested against a glowing hot exhaust! This was a lined jacket. Leather-rich replaced the sleeve and lining and the jacket came back looking as if nothing ever happened. I have to admit I was impressed.
If you have any leather garments that you love but haven't been wearing because of a stain, damage, or broken zipper, bring it in or mail it to us and let us give you an estimate. Many times the investment is much less than purchasing a new one.

COLORFUL CREATIONS DYEABLE SHOES

As the calendar turns to fall and winter, the number of holiday parties seems to increase. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas may find the ladies looking for shoes to go with their party dress. Here are some suggestions to make your shoes match your dress as closely as possible.

1. If your dress is satin, pick satin shoes. If your dress has more of a matte finish, pick shoes with luxe fabric(more textured material).

2. Is your event outside or inside? The material reflects the color differently depending on the lighting and the angle in which you are viewing it.

3. Give your Dye-man plenty of time to match your color and dye the shoes properly. 2 weeks lead time is much nicer than the day before the event. It is important to have a swatch of material from the dress, since most people aren't willing to leave the dress .

We have a book with over 500 formulas for different colors to match your dress. If the color is not perfect we can alter the formula to get as close to perfect as possible. After the color is approved the shoes are dyed, allowed to dry completely, then sprayed with water & stain resistant spray to protect the dye from running if you happen to spill something or get caught in the rain.

Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair sells http://www.colorfulcreations.com/ . We have a few popular styles in stock and can get most any pair of shoes by the next business day.

We know that once the shoes are dyed and used for the event, most people may never wear them again. To help you get the most from your purchase, we will dye your shoes black for free after your event, which allows for much more use.

Special Week of 10/13 - 10/18/2008

SAVE THIS WEEK ON THESE SPECIALS...

CHECK OUT OUR 50% OFF RACK!!!

ALL OUR BRAZO WALKING STICKS AND CANES ARE 20% OFF!!!

ALL INSOLES ARE BUY 1 GET 2ND FOR 20% OFF!!!

PRINT OUT THIS BLOG OR MENTION IT FOR THE DISCOUNTS.

THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS!!

Do You Wear Your Heels Down Quickly?

My heels wear down quickly on the outside edge, is there anything you can do about that?

This is a frequent question and there is a solution to this problem . Most shoes I see show the most wear on the outside heel. This is just the normal walking motion for a high percentage of people, a small number walk the inside heel down first.

Wear is slower or more rapid depending on several of the following variables:

1. The surface your walking on (carpet, concrete)

2. Your height and weight

3. The gait of your stride(do you drag you feet?)

4. The heel material (crepe, urethane, rubber, leather)

5. The frequency you wear your shoes

A product called a Heel Plate can be installed over the wear area to extend the life of your heels. The Heel Plate can then be replaced as you go through it rather then replace your heels. A great idea for people who know they always have extensive heel wear is to have Heel Plates put on their shoes when they are brand new.

Heel Plates come in many different shapes and sizes to fit most any shoes. Heel Plates are made in two materials; polyurethane, which are quiet, and metal, which wear very well but make you sound like a tap dancer.

Heel Plates are a repair job that we normally do WHILE U WAIT. Extend the life of your shoes today.

Do your shoes slip on the heel?

This is a question that I often hear asked, What can you do for my shoes that slip on the heel?

There are several fitting aids that can solve this problem. I approach the problem differently depending on the style of shoe.

For Men:

I will often suggest a TONGUE PAD. This is a piece of self-adhesive backed felt that is place under the tongue of the shoe. It helps hold the foot back in the shoe and usually solves the problem.

For Women:

- High heel closed shoe: This type of shoe has no room for a tongue pad, so I will use a HEEL GRIP instead. This is a contoured shaped sponge-rubber or Suede leather, self-adhesive back piece that fits into the upper portion of the heel counter. It helps take up space and solves the slipping problem. The only draw back to the HEEL GRIP is sometimes they roll down when the shoe is put on. It's important to use a shoe horn!!

- Sling Backs or Strappy Shoes: The problem I sometimes see with this type of shoe is the strap falls off the back of the heel when the customer walks. This is because the foot is sliding forward in the shoe. A HALTER / FOOT CUSHION just under the ball of the foot will stop this sliding, hold the foot in place, and the back strap stays in place.

We use the J.T.FOOTE product line of fitting aids. Stop by and get a better fit from your favorite shoes.

Beautiful Brazos Walking Sticks and Canes

Did you know that we here at EDGEWOOD DRIVE SHOE REPAIR carry beautiful and elegant Brazos walking sticks, hiking staffs, walking canes, trekking staffs and poles? Brazos handcrafted sticks and canes are made from the finest woods including sassafras, hickory, sweet gum, oak, ash, and iron bamboo. Unlike plastic or metal sticks and canes, handmade walking canes have a holistic appeal. Their staffs and canes are made from the finest solid hardwoods and are both lightweight and strong.

Stop by and check out our selection. Right now all our Brazos Walking sticks and Canes are 20% off.

Protect the Soles of Your New Shoes

A relatively recent innovation in the shoe repair industry is the protective sole. This is a very thin rubber sole that is applied over the existing sole of the shoe to make it longer wearing. The rubber is so thin that it doesn't change the feel or the appearance of the shoe. Protective soles make shoes more slip resistant. Anyone who has walked on carpet or tile with brand new leather soled shoes can appreciate that. This is great for safety, but also for wear. You can just keep replacing the protective sole and never wear into the leather sole. This product is great for men and women's shoes

Mention this Blog and SAVE!!!

Mention this blog when you come in during the week of 9/28/2008 and October 10/4/2008 and SAVE!!

Ladies save $1.00 on dowel lifts or flats!!

Men save $1.00 on heels!!

Don't Wait Too Long To Repair Your Shoes

PRACTICE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Repair your shoes before wear turns into damage. Ladies, don't wait for the rubber tips to fall off of your high-heels or flats. Replace them before they get to that point to avoid more significant damage to your heels. The same goes for men's shoes. Replace the heel before it wears into the heel base or the sole before you see a hole develop.

Waiting to long will add cost to the repair that would not have been necessary. EDGEWOOD DRIVE SHOE REPAIR tries to educate our customers on how to look for wear and get it repaired before it leads to damage.

Start a Shoe Care Home Program

Another tip to extend the life of your shoes:

START A SHOE CARE HOME PROGRAM

1. Clean your shoes with a leather cleaner

- We use LEXOL-pH Leather Cleaner. It deep cleans leather safely and thoroughly, without the harsh, damaging effects of alkaline soaps. http://www.lexol.com/

2. Condition the leather to restore oils that are lost through wear

- We use LEXOL Leather Conditioner. It renews and restores the oils originally used in the tanning processes.http://www.lexol.com/

3. Polish your shoes to restore the color and shine to seal out dirt

-We use Lincoln Stain Wax Shoe Polish, it is made with imported Carnauba Wax and a blend of other fine materials to stain, waterproof, nourish and shine all leathers. This is the polish used by the Marine Corp.http://www.lincolnshoepolish.com/

4. Weatherproof your shoes to protect them from water

- We use Punch Active Super Protector. It dries within 3 minutes and requires only 1 application each time you treat your shoes. Water beads up and rolls off, stains stay on top and can be easily cleaned.http://www.punch.ie/

You should repeat this regimen each month. If you would prefer we do it for you bring your shoes in to EDGEWOOD DRIVE SHOE REPAIR for professional cleaning and polishing. We offer a SHINE CLUB CARD where you purchase 4 shines and get the 5th one FREE!!

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Shoes

Here's another important part of extending the life of your shoes.

STORE YOUR SHOES IN CEDAR SHOE TREES

You have 125,000 sweat glands in your feet--all of them pouring moisture into your shoes. That is why it makes sense to rotate your shoes and, on their days off, put cedar shoe trees in them. Cedar's unique wicking action absorbs moisture, acid, and salt, thereby reducing cracking and deterioration of leather. Cedar shoe trees also add comfort by smoothing out linings and insoles, and enhance appearance by maintaining the shape of the shoes.

There are many different brands and styles of cedar shoe trees. The brand we carry here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair is Rochester Cedar Shoe Trees. If you are not wearing your shoes, they should have cedar shoe trees in them. Don't forget those golf shoes. Not only will you be extending the life of your shoes but you will have a nice, aromatic closet.

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Shoes

When you need to stretch your dollars, extending the life of shoes makes sense. Your shoes are an investment and you need to get the most from that investment.

BUY QUALITY SHOES

Did you know that the average man will take about 8,000 steps in a day? If he weighs 170 pounds, the daily force that accumulates on his feet is 1,000 tons. It makes sense to spend a few extra dollars for shoes that will give you the support you need. Shoes made with better quality materials are better for your feet. They are longer lasting and with the proper care and maintenance can last for years.

Here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair we offer high quality Tauer & Johnson made to order footwear. It is made especially for you. You choose the style, the kind of leather, the color of leather, and the soles. We measure your foot length, width, and girth; have you step into an impression box and send those exact measurements to Tauer & Johnson. They choose the last (the form on which the shoe is made) that best fits those measurements for your left and right foot separately. Check out their website http://www.tauerandjohnson.com/ or call us for a free catalog.

How I became a Shoe Repair Shop Owner

The story behind the shoe repairman -
After earning my BA in Business Administration from Covenant College, at Lookout Mountain, GA in 1993, my wife and I moved to IL. My parents, who owned a dry cleaning store, were adding shoe repair and asked me to run that part of the business. I began my hands on training with the previous owner of the shoe repair equipment. After two years, we moved to FL, where my wife grew up. I began working for Jim McFarland, 1995-1999, a well known award winning shoe repairman. While working there, I received an award for excellence in craftsmanship from the Shoe Service Institute of America 's(SSIA) Silver Cup Competition. From 1999-2004 ,I went on to help open and manage a new full service shoe repair business, Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair, that specialized in Red Wing Boot and Shoe repair. In 2005, I became the owner of Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair. I have really enjoyed serving my customers and being my own boss. I look forward to creating awareness of shoe repair, promoting my business, highlighting great shoe care and foot health products, and helping answer customer questions.

Shoe Repair Blog

This is our new blog to keep our wholesale and retail customers up-to-date on our services and products and any changes in our business. We will provide tips, product spotlights and answer frequently asked questions to help meet all your shoe and leather repair needs.