Shoe Man, Take Me Away

I took advantage of the post-holiday sales this year and got a new bag I'd had my eye on for a while. Do I love it? So much...except for this tiny rivet that keeps falling off, which I wouldn't fuss over but of course it's a very important little piece of hardware on an outside pocket that's attached to a cute little buckle, so I returned the bag to the store to reattach it but they said they'd have to send it back to China (home of the world's smallest, crappiest rivet), which would take 4-8 weeks because of the Chinese New Year, and I thought, a la Bill the Cat, "Aack," then "THPPFFT!"

Hence a visit to my new favorite shoe man, Louis Shoe Repair in the Empire State Building. He had just beautifully resoled 2 pairs of boots (his soles are marked "Italy," not "China") and fixed a strap on my platform sandals that others had deemed a lost cause. I left my bag for the afternoon and voila, for $5 the rivet is fixed. So next time you've got handbag hardware issues, or that exposed nail in your heel is clacking embarrassingly in your marble lobby, visit Louis. Quality work abounds, and the classic store is worth a visit for the rows of shoeshine stalls in which there is always someone sitting and reading a paper. Very old school, think I'll visit today for my coffee break .

Louis Shoe Repair, 25 W. 33rd between 5th & 6th