Don’t Throw Out Those Louboutins: Shoe Repair in Paris

Forget taxis, Uber, métro or bus rides. When in Paris, walking is the preferred method of transportation. Which may end up pissing off your Manolos, Louboutins, or Tory Burch flats. Can we get directions to the nearest shoe hospital?
Walking the Parisisan streets allows you to see everything up close, to flit off in any direction for spontaneous exploration and to revel in the sights, sounds and smell of this great city. Cobblestone streets, though aesthetically pleasing, can be unforgiving to your chic scarpins, and when you wear your favorite pair of biker boots to death, they really do die eventually when the soles give out or the seams break apart. So how do Parisian ladies keep their heels, boots and ballerina flats in tip-top shape? They visit thy local cobbler, of course, for some proactive or post-emergency action.

Much like with other cultural practices, the French are inclined to favor tradition. Small commerces are historical gems in the midst of Paris’s continuous industrialization, and the cobbler is one of those long-forgotten trades. Fortunately, there is one cordonnerie (French for cobbler) that has helped revive the craft since opening in Paris’s Véro-Dodat Galerie in 2009. The name is Minuit Moins 7, and it has become a go-to for luxury shoe repair in the capital, thanks to its dedicated team of craftsmen employing traditional methods that maintain original quality.

You might have heard of Christian Louboutin, revered French designer behind the coveted red-soled heels, who has uniquely entrusted repairs of his signature footwear to Minuit Moins 7. It is the only cordonnerie in Paris equipped to properly replace the red leather soles, and Louboutin has developed other soles exclusively for the enterprise.

Besides its shoe repair services, the establishment offers an on-the-go shoeshine kit that includes leather cream, horse hair brushes and cleaning cloth, a colorful sock collection made from Indian cotton by the French Archiduchesse hosiery brand, the Samousa Purse (small coin purse) available in leather, velvet and crocodile, as well as a selection of handcrafted bracelets made with high-quality materials.

The shop is elegant and parlor-like with that old-school Parisian feel. Checkered parquet flooring, artsy window displays that change regularly, and a sleek, organized presentation of its products and services gives the place an undeniable aura of sophistication and class.
So the next time you encounter a shoe crisis, with a broken heel stuck in the gaps on the Pont des Arts, a ripped sole from trekking the cobblestone streets, or you simply can’t bear the idea of giving up your beloved Louboutins whose luster has faded since you first purchased them, don’t throw them out or buy new ones. Keep the cobbler trade alive and well by paying a visit to Minuit Moins 7, where old traditions are kept and worn shoes are reborn. However, even if you can’t make the trip in person, the mighty snail mail will ensure all shoe tears and cracks will be a thing of your past.
Bon découvert !
What : Minuit Moins 7
Where : 10 Passage Véro-Dodat 75001 Paris; Second location — 163-165 Whitecross Street EC1Y8JT London
Open : Monday to Friday from 10 to 7 pm, Saturday from 11 to 1 pm and 2 to 7 pm
Telephone : +33(0)1 42 21 15 47
Website : http://www.minuitmoins7.com/