How mail-in boot and shoe resoling works
If your local cobbler has closed, mailing your shoes to a specialist is usually the best option. Many shops in our directory work this way. Here is what the process looks like, step by step, and where it tends to go wrong.
The four models you'll run into
Shops handle mail-in work in different ways. Knowing which model a shop uses tells you when you pay and who pays for shipping.
- Order online and use a prepaid label. You choose a service from a menu, pay up front, and get a shipping label. NuShoe (FedEx label, 3–6 weeks) and Cobblers Direct work like this. The Cobblers in Miami sends you a prepaid box. It's the easiest option when your repair is a standard one.
- Photo quote first, then ship. You send photos, get an estimate, and only then ship. The Cobbler in Vancouver asks for five specific photos and usually replies within three business days. McFarland, Daub's and Bedo's also quote before you send anything. This is the best route for unusual or valuable footwear.
- Ship first, then get a quote. You mail the shoes with a form inside, the shop inspects them, and you pay an invoice that includes return shipping. Nick's in Toronto, Type 2 Repairs and Wyatt & Dad all work this way.
- Brand-routed programs. Some bootmakers send owners to one partner shop. Tecovas, for example, sends people to NuShoe, and LOWA sends people to Daub's. Check your brand's website before you choose a shop yourself.
Step by step
1. Take good photos
Even when a shop doesn't ask for photos, take them. Photograph the top, the sole, both sides, the inside of the heel and any damage. They help with an accurate quote, and they are your record of the shoes' condition if anything goes wrong in transit.
2. Describe exactly what you want
"Resole" can mean a half sole, a full sole and heel, a new midsole, or a full rebuild with new insoles and welts. Name the sole you want (for example Vibram 430, Dainite, or JR leather), say whether to keep or replace the heel, and say how you feel about cork fill and edge colour. If you don't know, ask the shop to recommend one and to explain why.
3. Pack it properly
- Use a sturdy box. A padded envelope or the original shoebox on its own is not enough.
- Stuff the shoes with paper (or shoe trees you don't mind losing), and wrap each shoe separately.
- Put your name, phone, email, return address and order or quote number inside the box. Several shops say they receive "mystery packages" with no details, and those packages get delayed.
- Remove insoles or laces you want to keep, unless the shop needs them.
4. Ship with tracking
Use a tracked service. Insure the package for what the shoes would cost to replace, not what you paid for them. For cross-border shipments, follow the shop's instructions exactly. The Cobbler in Vancouver, for example, asks US customers not to declare a value and to mark international parcels "used footwear for repair, no commercial value", because declared values trigger fees that end up on your invoice.
5. Approve and pay
Most quote-first shops inspect the shoes on arrival and confirm or revise the price before they start. Inspection can turn up hidden problems, such as a cracked insole that turns a resole into a rebuild. Don't treat the first estimate as the final price.
6. Wait
Turnaround times vary a lot and change often. On the date we checked, published times ranged from about 4–7 days for return shipping at Daub's, to 2–4 weeks at San Juan Resole, 3–6 weeks at NuShoe, and a 12-week lead time at Wyatt & Dad. Those times don't include shipping in each direction. If you need the shoes by a certain date, ask the shop before you send them.
What it costs
Few shops publish full price lists, and prices depend on the construction of the shoe and the sole you choose. Where the shops we list publish prices, they include $140 plus shipping for a boot overhaul at Drew's, $55 per pair for a climbing-shoe half sole at Type 2 Repairs, and "from $350" for McFarland's JR leather package. Budget for two-way shipping as well. The Cobbler, for example, quotes $75 return shipping to the US.
Common ways it goes wrong (and how to avoid them)
- The wrong sole or the wrong fit after the resole. Specify the sole, and ask whether the shop resoles on lasts. Some shops, such as Drew's and B. Nelson, say they do.
- A shoe that can't be resoled. Injected soles (common on hiking boots) often can't be replaced. LOWA's own note on Daub's says this about models like the Renegade. Read is it worth resoling? first.
- Lost parcels. Use tracking and insurance, and put your contact details inside the box.
- Surprise totals. Ask whether the quote includes return shipping.