I’ve taken shoes (Tevas and a much-loved pair of Vasquez boots) to a local cobbler who repairs just about everything, it seems. No questions but I think it’s very cool you got this job! I love that there are still people who fix quality things.
Speaking of fixing things - I did get the sewing machine going again today. It turned out I hadn’t installed the new needle exactly right. I reinstalled the needle and problem solved.
Do you fix fabric boots, like snow/rain boots? How would I clean the fabric?
What’s the best way to clean these shoes? I’ve got a couple pairs that can use a good cleaning. They’re in great shape, they just need cleaned.
It depends somewhat on the fabric, and how it’s been treated/dyed. In some cases we can just wipe it clean with a mild soap/detergent. Other times, it can be quite difficult to clean them.
Given that they’re leather, the ideal would be to use white vinegar on any salt stains, then saddle soap. After that, mink oil, some sort of leather conditioning lotion (almost all of which contain mink oil) or a polish that contains mink oil. For cleaning the soles, a mild soap or detergent. Do anything with soap first, try to avoid getting anything but saddle soap on the leather, but if you do, the mink oil/lotion/polish will restore any oils stripped out of the leather by a splash of soap.
Does it matter that mine are vegetarian Birkenstocks, made with all synthetic parts? Can most shoe repair stores get the stuff to do the repairs? (I know you have to try really hard to find vegetarian Birkies in a brick-and-mortar store–at least you did back when I bought mine.)
The only difference that should make is that they might have to order “vegetarian” parts - the basic sole and the cork are already like that, getting synthetic insoles and straps would be the potential obstacle. At worst, in my shop, it would be a delay for however long it would take to get the parts if we didn’t have them already.