Milan Kovacevic
Owner and head repairer. Learned the trade in Novi Sad before moving to Melbourne in 1997. Handles every resole that comes through the shop and will tell you plainly when a pair is beyond saving.
About us
Kruneri Shoe Repair: A Two-Bench Workshop in Richmond
Kruneri is a family-run shoe repair workshop on Church Street in Richmond, where leather soles get stitched back on and tired sneakers get a second life.
How we got here
Started with one bench and a stubborn habit
Milan Kovacevic opened Kruneri in 2011 after fourteen years repairing footwear for other people's shops. The first premises was a single room off Swan Street with a bench, a stitching machine and a kettle that never quite boiled. The lease had a leaking roof and the landlord would not fix it, so Milan did the roof himself and learned that running a shop is mostly unglamorous maintenance.
Fourteen years on, we are at 511 Church Street with two benches and a repair queue that keeps us honest. Most of our work still comes from people walking past and noticing a window full of half-finished boots.
2011
Year the doors opened
14
Years in the trade in Richmond
2,900
Pairs resoled and counting
9
Regular customers who have never missed a year
The team
Three people, two benches, one kettle
Jelena Kovacevic
Runs the front of shop, quotes, and the endless paperwork. Also does most of the sneaker cleaning, which she is faster at than anyone here will admit. Started helping out on weekends in 2016 and never really left.
Owen Ashcroft
Apprentice, three years in. Started because his boots fell apart and he wanted to know how to fix them himself. Now handles heel blocks, stitching repairs and most of the polishing.
What we believe
Fix what is worth fixing, and say so when it is not
A proper resole costs about a third of a good pair of shoes and buys you years more wear. That only works if the upper is sound, the lining has not gone and the welt is still holding. We check all three before quoting, and if the answer is no, we tell you.
It is a boring philosophy but it keeps people coming back. Around 60% of our work now comes from repeat customers or someone they sent in. We would rather have that than a queue of unhappy one-time jobs.
- Every repair is quoted before any work begins
- No courier, no off-site drop boxes, no surprise delays
- Materials chosen for the shoe, not for the margin
What we work on
Two services carry most of the load
Leather Sole Replacement
We take the old sole off, level the welt and stitch on a new leather sole, with a heel top piece to match. Goodyear, Blake and cemented shoes all get handled here, and most jobs come back within three working days.
How resoling works
Sneaker Restoration and Cleaning
Canvas, mesh, knit and suede all need different care. We clean by hand, lift stains out of the midsole and deal with yellowed rubber, drying everything slowly so the glue and shape hold up.
See the cleaning stepsWhere we are going
What the next few years look like
We are not planning to open a second shop or start shipping jobs interstate. The plan is simpler: keep the queue manageable, train Owen up properly so he can take on full resoles unaided, and slowly replace the machines that are getting past their serviceable life. The stitcher is next on the list.
We would also like to do more teaching. Small evening classes on basic shoe care, maybe a repair-your-own-sneakers session once a month. Nothing has been scheduled yet. If it sounds like something you would come to, mention it next time you are in.
Training the next pair of hands
Owen is halfway through a four-year apprenticeship and already handles most heel work on his own.
Less waste from the bench
Offcuts of sole leather go to a local craft group, and old metal heel tips get sorted for scrap.
Evening shoe care classes
Small groups, basic polishing and leather care. Still in the planning stage, likely starting later this year.
Come in and see the bench
The shop is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9:00am to 2:00pm. No appointment needed for a quote. If you would rather ask first, send us a message and we will reply during opening hours.
- +61 3 8472 6391
- kruneri@hotmail.com
- 511 Church Street, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia