Petaluma Wiskerino 2010

Vinny's A-1 Shoe Reapir will be a Homegrown Supporter of this years Whiskerino celabration! Register and enter to get a chance to win a free heel repair!

http://petalumawhiskerino.com/

Come and join me on Facebook!

Vinny's A-1 Shoe Repair has a Facebook fan page! Come and check out what we're up to!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Vinnys-A-1-Shoe-Repair-Fan-Page/210884029330

Protective Soles

Winter is upon us. To prepare for the wet weather, I like to recommend protective soles. Protective soles are a great way to extend the life of your new (or slightly worn ) shoes, triple the wear of your soles and prevent slipping on wet surfaces. The material that is used is a thin sheet of rubber (aprox. 2 mm) that is adhered to the sole.
Here are a few examples of the protective sole (notice the special red material used specifically for Christian Louboutin's).

Halloween

For Halloween, I thought I would pay homage to my loyal customers by posting pictures of them in their costumes. Well, none of my customers came in Saturday dressed in their Halloween attire. So, I decided to take a few pics of some of the people that work in the shopping complex. I see these people all the time and they are so kind to go out of their way to say hello through out the day. Great costumes Gang!!

Craftzine Feature

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/10/shoe_repair_tips_interview_wit.html

Thanks to Natalie Zee and the gang at Craftzine.com for this awesome interview. Check it out!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Dance Shoes from Vans??

I get a lot of dancers that come to me and ask if I can take a comfortable pair of shoes and turn them into dance shoes. It really depends on the sole. Today I was given a pair of Vans to transform into dance shoes.

Dance shoes are equiped with a special sole that is made from suede or chrome leather. The suede helps provide a slick surface to help slide with ease.

I buy chrome leather by the hyde. It's easier to trace and cut than carry a varity of sizes.

Rough trace and cut.

The sole on a Vans shoe is already flat. I'll roughen it with the sander and take out any high spots.

After the soles are rough I'll apply two coats of barge cement.

After the glue is slightly tacky I'll lay them on top of the soles and put them in the press.

Once out of the press, I'll cut the excess off with a pair of leather shears and trim them flush with the sole and heel trimmer.

From there I clean them up and they're ready for the dance floor!