SoleHeeled offers convenient and affordable Dr. Martens shoe repairs by Australia’s best craftsmen, with free shipping to your door. This case study outlines how we recently repaired a customer’s Dr. Martens shoes.
The shoes
These Dr Martens Orson slip-on shoes were heavily scuffed around the toes, with the leather losing much of its colour there, and the inner lining around the back of the shoes was torn. When this customer reached out to us for a free diagnosis/quote, we offered to re-line the heel counters and restore the leather uppers.
Leather cleaning, conditioning and colour restoration
We started off by cleaning the leather uppers to remove any accumulated dirt and impurities, and then conditioning the leather to nourish it, making it more supple and therefore more amenable to leather restoration work. When then custom mixed an acrylic leather paint to match the original colour of the shoes and used an airbrush to carefully recolour the leather — applying multiple coats. We finally applied a high-gloss finisher as a top coat, to restore the original patent leather-like finish.
Re-line heel counters
We glued down the loose lining around the heels at the back of the shoes (aka the “heel counters”) before cutting pieces of thin suede leather to match the shape of the old heel counters and then carefully glueing them into place. These new heel counters not only protect the original heel counters but reinforce the shoes around the back of the wearer’s feet, to help prevent further damage and offer greater grip.
Have a pair of Dr. Martens shoes needing repair or restoration?
Our experienced craftsmen have been trusted by not only generations of Australians but also local and international brands (including Versace and Canali) with the repair and restoration of designer shoes since 1955. If you have a beloved pair of Dr. Martens shoes in need of repair or restoration, ask us for a free diagnosis/quote by completing our online order form — where you can upload photos of the shoes and let us know exactly what you would like done to them, or let us advise you on what the shoes need based on the photos.
SoleHeeled serves all of Australia through its free 2-way shipping service:
Order online: Answer a few questions to get an instant quote and complete your order.
Send your shoes: Drop your shoes off at a local post office for free packaging and shipping to us.
We repair: A team of experienced craftsmen will carefully repair your shoes.
We return: We'll deliver your repaired shoes to you, wherever you are in Australia.
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