These cobblers are the soles of discretion
Sure, buying a Prius is the obvious way to reduce your carbon footprint, but there’s a more stylish and sustainable step toward Earth-friendly transportation you might want to consider: resoling your shoes.
Los Angeles is home to more than 200 registered shoe repair shops, but not all cobblers are created equal, especially when it comes to men’s shoes. So where to take your favorite wingtips, loafers or boots? Here are three top shops where history, quality and craftsmanship combine to keep your shoes a step ahead.
Willie’s Shoe Service, Hollywood
Willebaldo Rivera opened Willie’s Shoe Service across from Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue in 1956 and moved to his current Cahuenga Boulevard location in 1982. When you walk inside it’s like stepping back in time. Wooden shoe lasts line the shelves, and celebrity head shots of yesteryear line the walls.
Initially, Rivera handcrafted bespoke shoes to order for film industry luminaries including the likes of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, before expanding his business to include shoe repair. On any given day, you’re likely to find Rivera designing slip-on shoes for the Rev. Jesse Jackson or customizing Canadian hiking boots for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose shoes travel across town from Brentwood in order to have Willie work his magic. The store’s biggest client is Los Angeles Opera.
These days Rivera is joined by his young apprentice with a handlebar mustache, manager Raul Ojeda, who is so committed to his craft that his forearm features an intricate tattoo involving shoe lasts and a plumed gladiator helmet. He has learned from Rivera’s old-fashioned expertise and modernized the business by using the latest and most durable materials. Ojeda talks passionately about using primarily American materials to repair shoes, though he is researching bringing in custom Mexican shoe lasts because he believes they offer the best fit. “We try to improve on the original design for a better fit and a more durable shoe,” Ojeda says.
801 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 463-5011. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Heel replacement: $25 to $30; resoling for men’s dress shoes: $75 to $100.
Country Mart Shoe Repair, Santa Monica
The Brentwood Country Mart is best known for tony boutiques such as Poppy and Calypso, but tucked in a quiet corner is an old-fashioned shoe repair shop that Samir Goli took over 28 years ago. The place is small but cheerful. A rainbow of colorful boxes containing shoes covers the walls, and the display case offers a large selection of shoe laces. Goli and his wife, Celia, chat up longtime customers dropping off a beloved pair of wingtips needing a new sole or a vintage leather briefcase for repair.
Jim Rosenfield, a developer who purchased the Brentwood Country Mart in 2003, says Samir is a “true artisan in a profession where not many remain.” Rosenfield spent a lot of time at the Country Mart as a teenager and he recalls a certain producer bringing his boots to Country Mart Shoe Repair for a daily cleaning. Indeed, Goli’s client list reads like a who’s who of Hollywood, but Goli is discreet about sharing their names, which might have something to do with why he has such a loyal following.
225 26th St., Santa Monica. (310) 394-1856. 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed for lunch 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Heel replacement: $24; men’s dress shoe resoling: $58.50.
Eddie’s Shoe & Handbag Repair, Sherman Oaks
Starting in 1946, Eddie’s Shoe & Handbag Repair has been a destination of sorts, serving leading men from Rock Hudson to Sylvester Stallone. Today, customers bring their shoes to third-generation cobbler and photographer Greg Papazian.
“Gene Autry had an extensive boot collection, and he would bring in pairs worth $10,000 apiece for repairs,” the proprietor says.
The shop has long been a favorite with musicians as well as actors. The black-and-white photographs Papazian has taken of legends such as Rod Stewart, Dave Davies, Jimmy Page and Ozzy Osbourne line the shop’s walls.
In addition to his eye for rock photography, Papazian has another passion. “I happen to like tools,” he says. The shop features the biggest collection of vintage shoe stretchers in the country, which are functional as well as beautiful. The store also specializes in men’s shoe soles. Back in the workshop, you’ll find exquisite leather soles from German tannery Joh. Rendenbach Jr., as well as a stockpile of the discontinued Cat’s Paw Sole for work boots. “You can’t find these anymore, but they’re the best,” Papazian says.
Arguably the most notable service the shop offers is continuity. “Every shoe brought in is worked on by the person who took the order,” Papazian says. “That way nothing is lost in translation.”
13716 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 789-1972. 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Heel replacement: $15 to $25; resoling men’s dress shoes: $40 to $75.
