Richmond, Melbourne
Kruneri repairs leather shoes and sneakers in Richmond, Melbourne, with hand-stitched soles, heel rebuilds and careful cleaning done in our own workshop.
Recent work
The original soles had worn through at the ball of the foot. We stitched on a new leather sole, replaced the heel top piece and conditioned the upper so the creases softened back up.
Two winters of wet footpaths had left the mesh looking grey and flat. We hand scrubbed the uppers, cleaned the midsole with a soft brush and re-whitened the toes without touching the factory stitching.
The owner walked on the outside edge and had ground the heel down to the nail heads. We rebuilt both heel blocks, matched the leather colour and handed them back the next afternoon.
What we do
People usually come to us for one of two things: a proper leather resole that lasts, or a deep clean that gets a pair of sneakers back into normal rotation. Both are done here in Richmond, by hand.
We pull the old sole off, level the welt, and stitch on a new leather sole with a heel to match. Goodyear, Blake and cemented construction all get handled, and we tell you honestly when a pair is past saving.
Read about resoling
Canvas, mesh, suede and knit all need different treatment. We clean by hand, lift stains out of the midsole and deal with yellowed rubber, then dry everything slowly so the glue and shape survive the process.
See the cleaning processThe workshop
Kruneri is a two-bench operation. That means your shoes sit on our bench until they are finished, not in a box waiting for a courier. If a repair needs glue to cure overnight, we say so when you drop it off and give you a real pickup time.
Meet the people behind the benchHow it runs
Walk in during opening hours or send a photo first if you are not sure the repair is worth doing. We look at the welt, the lining and the heel before quoting.
You get a fixed price and a pickup date before anything is cut. If we open the shoe and find something worse inside, you get a call instead of a surprise bill.
The old sole is removed, the welt is cleaned up and the cork or filler is replaced where it has collapsed. This is where a cheap resole usually shows itself.
Stitching is done on the machine but guided by hand. Leather soles get a light edge trim and a wax finish so the layers read as one piece.
Uppers get cleaned and conditioned, laces go back in, and we walk the pair across the bench to make sure nothing rocks or squeaks.
We hold finished work for 60 days. If you cannot make it in, message us and we will work something out rather than leave the pair sitting.
Typical prices
Prices move with the sole you pick and how much of the heel needs rebuilding. The numbers below are what most customers actually pay, not a starting figure we quietly raise later.
Ask for a quoteFrom $145. Both soles, a new heel top piece, edge finishing and a polish before pickup.
From $55. New blocks and top pieces where the rest of the sole still has life in it.
From $65. Hand cleaning of uppers, midsole and laces, with stain work quoted separately.
From $20. Stitching, zip replacement, buckle work and the odd loose seam.
Around the bench
Feedback
Brought in a pair of R.M. Williams I had almost given up on. The welt was in better shape than I thought and they came back looking like they had another ten years in them.
My white sneakers had gone that dull grey colour you cannot fix with a washing machine. They came back white again and the shape was still right, which is the part I was worried about.
Quoted $55 for a heel rebuild and that is exactly what I paid. No upselling, no story about the lining needing replacing. I have been back twice since.
Questions
Send a short description and we will come back with a price range and a realistic pickup date. No deposit needed for a quote.