I've recently adopted a goal of working to live with more simplicity in my life. While such a concept takes many forms, the most perceptible lies with my decision to cut down on the amount of 'stuff' that I have lying around the house. There was a time where I would treat shoes and clothing like disposable goods, and any time a heel or sole was damaged, it was off to a department store to waste more of my hard earned money. I decided in August that I would limit my shoe collection to two pairs of really well made brown and black dress shoes, a pair of sneakers, and a pair of outdoor shoes. There's not much in the world of fashion I like better than a solid pair of tan brogues, and I usually ignore the conventional wisdom and wear my Florsheim's virtually every day. As you can imagine, such daily wear and tear has taken its toll quickly since August, with hundreds of miles on the odometer already. The bricks of New Street and the cobblestones of Rome are not kind to shoes. With a hole forming in one sole and bits of heels coming off, I needed to find a cobbler who could make the shoes look as good as they did the day they came out of the box.
Enter Piccadilly Cobbler, centrally located in the Piccadilly Arcade across Stephenson Street from New Street Station. Despite using their services in October for a quick waterproofing and shine, I was somewhat hesitant to take the plunge on a full sole and heel replacement. Back home, I've experienced horror stories with shoddy craftsmanship and poor replacement materials. I took my shoes in on a Tuesday and asked for a consultation on work needed and a quote. I was promised replacement of the soles and heels on both shoes with a quoted price of £22.50. The work only took one day to complete, and the shoes now look great. I have no qualms on the pricing or their cobbling skills. I am only giving four stars though because I am not as impressed with the quality of the replacement materials, going from an original leather sole to a cheaper (but still quality) rubber sole. I recommend them none the less, but be careful if this is an issue for you. read more