Cobbler RUINED my louboutins! Is there a CL ER/hospital for ruined shoes?

#16
I am sorry to hear about your shoes. I think your cobbler should have grounded down the original sole more carefully. Anyway, he maybe able to dye the exposed brown part to match the red color on your shoes. Take your shoes to another cobbler and explain your situation and see what he can do. GL.
 
#17
Chic - I'm so sorry that this happened to you. We all love our CL shoes, and part of what makes them so special is the red sole. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that the red sole is going to be worn off so many people (including me) have purchased the soles from the British lady yummychouchou on Ebay.

I was hugely disappointed when my expert cobbler applied these red soles from ebay, they are very poor quality and because they are so thick and heavy, they are very noticeable. These ebay soles were not meant for dainty Louboutin shoes.
Anyway, I would recommend a NYC cobbler that only deals with high end designer shoes. It is quite a show to walk into this shoe repair shop because all you can see are hundreds of pairs of Louboutins, Blahniks, Choos, etc. I know that they offer shipping at a cost. It is Shoe Service Plus 212.262.4823. They are located at 15 West 55th Street in NY.

They can absolutely fix your shoes, and put the good quality red soles on your shoes.
Good luck!
 
#18
chicbabacool -- I cannot imagine how devastated you must be. :sad: I also had a cobbler nightmare with my first pair of designer shoes -- CL's simple pump. I wore them every single day with every conceivable outfit when I first got them. When the heel lift wore down, I made the mistake of bringing them to the cobbler located in my office building. What a mistake. When I went to pick them up, he couldn't find them. :wtf: I was just in shock! Worse was that he was not concerned at all about it. Later that day when he did find them, the new lifts were pounded so hard onto the shoe that it caused the red on the heel to ripple.

I would highly recommend Shoe Service Plus here in New York City. The managed to fix my simple pumps and are the only cobbler I trust with my designer shoes. They are also recommended by the CL boutiques and the high end department stores here in NYC. I have no doubt that they will be able to similarly save your shoes.
 
#19
So I sent my shoes off to Artie's Shoe Service today! I explained the situation to him and he said he'd be able to fix them. Now it's time for the waiting game... I can't wait to get them back!
 
#20
Chic - be sure to keep us updated. I am sure that most reputable NYC cobblers will be able to bring them back to life and make them good as new again.
Next time be sure to use SSP. As Stinam mentioned, they are absolutely the #1 recommended cobbler in NY, most high end shoe boutiques have house accounts with this place, and most department stores will refer you to them.
 
#21
Wow, interesting thread, I'm sorry that that happened to you CBBC. What a nightmare, but thank goodness there is still hope. Post pix when you get them back so we can see Artie the Angel's handiwork!

Anybody on this thread have any suggestions for European sisters? I haven't worn out the red yet, but I sure would like to have a point of reference for the future.
Thanks!
 
#23
i would have spoken up right away...you shouldn't have stayed quite whats the point of telling us (besides venting) they could have done something right their and then you should have demanded that they fix it which from the way i see it they can't or demand that they replace the shoes for you
 
#25
In all honesty, the cobler should fix that. They were the one who ruined the shoes and IMHO, regardless of the area, that is unacceptable. I have to say though that depending on how much you get quoted, paying "whatever it takes" would be extreme IMHO. I frankly think they should fix their mistake. Either way, all of the best to you.
 
#26
chicbabacool: I feel terrible for you! Always follow your gutt instincts. If you ever have a hint of doubt about quality of work of a cobbler, seamstress, etc., just leave. Cause you are probably right, something will go wrong and something usually does. I put Topy soles on every pair of my shoes the minute I buy them, so I have a lot of exp. with cobblers. You can't always trust referrals from stores even a Neiman's or Saks b/c it's not the SA's shoes so they don't check for craftsmanship. I've been referred to some pricey and popular cobblers by Saks and Neimans and those cobblers have damaged parts of my shoe that they were not working on. It is best to get a referral from someone who buys a lot of shoes. Go to a cobbler that speacializes or often works on designer shoes. Ask the cobbler to show you something similiar to what you want done from his workshop before you commit to his services. Always stress the exact details of the work you want done to the cobbler and make sure that he understands your instructions. If he brushes you off, don't leave your expensive shoes with him. I've had my share of disappoints. But don't be discouraged, there are some perfectionist out there doing great work too!

You should go back to your cobbler and have him paint the damaged part with red shoe paint. I've seen that done to CLs and if done correctly, they will look fine. Good luck!
 
#27
ItsMyWorld said:
I frankly think they should fix their mistake.
Click to expand...

They do not have the skill to fix it. I would not trust them with a beat up pair of tennis shoes and will NEVER let them touch a pair of my shoes again. I live in an area of the country (Michigan) where unemployment is very high and there's terrible tension between the rich and the poor. I see very few middle class where I live. I have this guilt about being young and having my parents take care of me. I'm in college and many people would think it obscene that I have a pair of $500 shoes. Of course, I only have 10 pairs of shoes and 4 are designer so that's how I choose to spend my money and my parents support that. I have many friends who buy shoes like they're disposable and have like 50 pairs. If they would have saved up their money they could have CLs too, but they just don't think like me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's a lot more forces at work here aside from a pair of ruined luxury shoes. I do not want to be the person who gets out of her Mercedes, takes off her Prada sunglasses and *****es someone out for no reason other than I am pissed that they ruined a pair of $500 shoes. I cannot see myself going back there and complaining. I doubt it would do anything but make the person feel terrible.

What's done is done and I learned a valuable lesson: trust my instincts and only take luxury shoes to luxury shoe services!
 
#28
chicbabacool I totally would have felt the same way. In this case I wouldnt take it on with the cobbler, sometimes its ok to take on the blame yourself and not assume that other people appreciate the same level of detail and craftmanship. I think its admirable that you are not pulling the customer is always right card with folks that may not know better. I do hope that you get a more experienced cobbler to fix this please let us know how it turns out !!!
 
#29
Oh, my stomach just crunched up in knots when I saw the pics. I feel so bad for you.

I've had my share of shoe horrors too. The latest one was when I had added a thin tan sole on my Pucci wedges (the shoes are wood throughout) and the cobbler SHAVED off some of the wood on the side of my shoes. These shoes have handpainted designs all the way to the bottom of the sides, of the shoes, so some of the designs were lost/SHAVED OFF.
 
#30
Oh dear! That's terrible! Hope they'll get fixed. My cobbler at least replaiced only the bottom of the shoe (eventhough he had to do it with black rubber...)

I can imagine how you must feel! :sad:
 
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