With high quality shoes, it’s common for the soles to wear out well before the uppers do because the outsoles are subjected to constant wear as it’s pressed and twisted into the ground with every step. The life of the average outsole varies greatly and depends on a lot of factors including:
- How many miles are put on them
- The type of terrain they’re worn on
- The wearer’s weight
- The wearer’s stride and walking patterns
When To Get Shoes Resoled
What Shoes Can Be Resoled
Not all shoes can be resoled. Whether a shoe can be resoled depends entirely on the design and construction of the shoe. On lower quality shoes, replacement soles may not be available. Even if they are, the cost to replace the sole may exceed the cost of the shoe, which doesn’t make sense for the smart consumer.
Goodyear Welted Shoes
The Goodyear welt is one of the most common methods of construction, and also one of the most durable. With Goodyear construction, a piece of leather (the welt) is applied to the perimeter of the shoe where the outsole meets the upper. Two separate stitches are then used to A) attach the welt to the outsole and B) attach the welt to the uppers and insole (in some cases). Goodyear welted shoes are the easiest to resole.
Blake Stitch Shoes
With a Blake Stitch, the shoe’s uppers are stitched directly to the outsoles, with the stitches visible on the insides and bottoms of the shoes. Blake Stitch shoes can be resoled, but a cobbler will need a Blake Stitch Machine, which makes resoling more expensive and more difficult.
Cup Sole Shoes
Shoes that use a cup sole typically can’t be resoled. The rubber cup outsole is permanently bonded to the leather uppers using cement, and removing it usually destroys the leather, making replacement impossible. Sneakers and casual shoes are commonly constructed using cup soles, which is faster, easier and less expensive than a Blake Stitch or a Goodyear Welt.
How Does Resoling Work?
With the resoling process, the old stitches are first removed, and the outsoles detached from the uppers, midsole and insole (if the insole is stitched in place). The area where the stitches attach to the outsole and uppers will be cleaned and prepared for a new welt and sole to be attached if needed. A new outsole is attached using the same style of stitching that was present on the previous sole.
We will also clean and polish the uppers. When resoling a pair of shoes, you should also consider replacing the insock which are likely worn as well. While insocks don’t wear down in the same way that outsoles do, the insock material can start to break down and lose its structure.
Resoling Cost
Here at the British Shoe Company will have a few options for resoling we can send Barker, Crockett and Jones and Tricker's back to the factory for a full factory resole this typically cost between £120 & £175.
Cost varies with our own internal repair service, full resoles range from £75 to £95. With other remedial work, cost varies by the type of repair.
Of course with every full price purchase of a pair of shoes over £150 you get one free shoe repair done within our own repair service.
Free Shoe Repair
As A thank you for your purchase of a full price pair of shoes, over £150, we would like to offer you an exclusive discount on your next full price purchase along with a free standard shoe repair*. You can use the discount either instore or online.
You can also "top up" your repair by covering the difference in price between standard leather & premium leather for example, or having steel toe plates added etc.
Your thank you card with your discount code will be dispatched with your order.
How to redeem Instore
You redeem your free repair or discount by producing your thank you card instore at point of sale. We ask that the free repair be expressed at drop off. We cannot add any discount retrospectively.
Online
You redeem your Discount code by adding the code at the checkout at point of payment.
To redeem your free repair please contact us either through the repair section on our website or directly via email, please mention the free repair voucher at this point. We can then discuss your repair needs.
Please note it is your responsibility to send us your initial shoe repairs and dependent on repair and location may need to pay for return postage this will be decided prior to any work being carried out.
* The free standard shoe repair consists of a repair to one pair of shoes with any one of the following repairs;
- Standard leather sole and heel
- Dainite style sole and heel
- Commando style sole and heel
- Stick on sole and heel
- Reheel
- Some other work may be carried out please contact us for more details.
The free repair does not include Branded repairs.