Shops We Love: Novelty Shoe Rebuilders

A good pair of shoes is like an old friend. They'll see you through rain or shine with no questions asked.
And together you both tend to develop a lovely patina.
Sometimes, like to an old friend,we can be a bit neglectful and to make up for it we always send our fave footware to shoe spa at Novelty Shoe Rebuilders.

We recently had need to pamper a pair of special Oxfords. (Actually we're getting them in tip top shape for 2 weeks of striding the unforgiving pavement of Madrid) So, naturally we left them for a few days with the kind hands at Novelty.
 
 Novelty has been here since 1932!
That's a long time for a tiny one-off shop to be in business.
And it's testament to their craft.

 
And the tiny shop still looks pretty much the way it must have when it was brand new.
Of course, it too has some patina.
(And it was probably a little tidier in its original day!)
But, hey, who's gonna be critical when you're getting
super-professional, fast, and very affordable service!

According to this article in the Toronto Star from last year the original owner retired a few years back and the business is now operated by the small group who were once the his employees.
 
above, courtesy The Toronto Star



The affable Robert Perry is the enterprise's front man
and boy does he know how to keep the customers smiling!

More that just a pretty face and a born comedian though, he's one of the cobblers himself.

Novelty Shoe Rebuilders has survived fire, decades of economic swings, and lived through trends that saw us disposing-of rather than repairing many of those things in our lives that simply need a little TLC. We're hoping it will be around for a long time to come, because let's face it, when you need to make it up to an old friend you have to do it right!