Sole work done on Church Street
Leather Sole Replacement
Kruneri replaces worn leather soles on boots, dress shoes and work footwear. We strip the old sole, stitch a new leather one to the welt and finish the edges by hand. Most pairs are back on your feet within six days.
What the job involves
A new sole that behaves like the original
When a sole wears through, the upper usually has years left in it. Replacing the sole costs less than replacing the shoe, and a proper stitched job keeps the shape and the flex.
We start by trimming the old sole away and checking the welt and insole for rot. If the welt stitching has pulled, it gets redone before anything new goes on. The replacement leather is cut from a 4.5mm hide, soaked, shaped over the last and stitched by hand at eight stitches per inch. Heels are rebuilt with a leather stack and a rubber top piece so you are not sliding around on wet bluestone. The finished edge gets waxed and burnished, and we polish the upper before the pair leaves the bench.
Bring the shoes in before the sole wears into the welt. Once the stitching channel is gone, the repair turns into a full rebuild and the price roughly doubles.
Why people bring them here
A bench, a last and a hand awl
Sole work is a narrow trade and there are fewer people doing it properly each year. Ours is done in the back room, not sent to a factory in another state.
Every pair is measured against a wooden last before we touch the leather. That matters most on Goodyear welted boots, where a lazy fit shows up later as a crease across the vamp. We keep a small stock of sole bends in three thicknesses so we can match what the maker used instead of forcing one hide onto everything. If a shoe carries sentimental weight, we note the details you want kept and leave them alone.
Hand welted
The new sole is stitched to the existing welt with waxed linen thread. No contact adhesive holding the whole thing together.
Lasted to fit
We shape the sole over a last in your size so the shoe keeps its profile and does not flatten out after a month.
Rubber where it counts
Heel tops and toe taps are rubber. You get grip on wet footpaths without losing the leather look.
Pricing
What sole work costs
Prices are per pair and include stitching, edge finishing and a polish. Anything unusual gets quoted before we start, never after.
Full sole rebuild
$185Complete sole and heel replacement on welted shoes and boots.
Get QuoteWelt and sole rebuild
$290For pairs where the welt stitching has failed and the insole needs work.
Get QuoteCracked uppers, broken shanks and exotic leathers are quoted separately after inspection.
Our process
From drop off to collection
Six stages, each one checked before the next starts. You get a call if anything turns up that changes the quote.
Inspection at the counter
We look at the welt, the insole and the heel before quoting. It takes about ten minutes.
Old sole removed
The worn sole comes off and the stitching channel is cleaned out so the new thread seats properly.
Leather selected and soaked
A sole bend is cut to size and soaked until it bends without cracking, usually overnight.
Stitched to the welt
The sole is stitched on by hand at the bench, then trimmed flush with a knife.
Heel and edge finishing
The heel stack goes on, the edges are sanded, waxed and burnished until they are smooth.
Final polish and call
We polish the upper, check the fit and ring you when the pair is ready to collect.
Gallery
Recent work from the bench
A few pairs that came through in the last couple of months, photographed before they went back to their owners.
FAQ
Questions we get at the counter
If yours is not here, ring the shop or drop in. We would rather answer it in person than have you guess.
Book a resole
Tell us what is worn out
Send a few details and we will come back with a price and a drop off time. Photos help if the damage is unusual.
The shop is open Monday to Saturday. Ring ahead if you want to wait while we look at the pair.