When to Go to a Pro

While you can do a few quick repairs at home, it’s often easier — and just as affordable — to make that (wobbly) trip to the shoe-repair shop.

Broken Heel

The Solution: A shoe pro can replace the metal pin that runs down the center of the heel. “Replace both heels at once for better balance,” says Louise Ramuta of Ramuta’s Shoe Repair, in Seattle.
Cost: $10 to $30 per heel.
Options If your stilettos tend to snap, create a sturdier pair of shoes by having the shop grind a quarter inch off the existing heels. Cost: $10.

Torn Strap

The Solution: Your shoe repairman can sew, glue, or tack a ripped strap back into place. Resist the urge to DIY with superglue, says Ramuta — it tends to crack leather.
Cost: $6 to $12 per strap.
Options If your straps are so brittle that you’d rather have them replaced, a shoe repairman can sew on a new, bone-colored strap, then dye it to match your shoes. Cost: $15 to $18.

Worn-Out Soles

The Solution: “Replace your soles when the centers feel soft and spongy,” says Frank Sorrentino, who replaces 50 to 100 soles a week as owner of Mont Clare Shoe Repair, in Chicago.
Cost: $25 to replace leather soles; $15 to replace rubber soles.
Options Apply thin rubber sole guards to the bottoms of new shoes to prolong their life. When the guards wear out, you can replace them rather than the soles. Cost: $15 to $20.

Ill-Fitting Slingbacks

The Solution: Your shoe repairman can shorten the straps, add elastic, or punch an extra hole in the buckle, says Nick Valenti of B. Nelson Shoes, in New York City.
Cost: $5 and up to shorten the straps or add an extra hole; $8 and up to add elastic.
Options: Transform slingbacks into slides by having the back straps removed. Ask a shoe pro for advice, though, since the front part alone might not be enough to hold your foot. Cost: $5.

Fading Color

The Solution: To restore your black pumps to their original shade, pros remove as much of the existing color as possible, then apply at least two coats of dye, allowing 48 hours between coats.
Cost: $12 to $20.
Options: If those pink slingbacks are now a bit too Barbie for your tastes, you can dye them a new color, like black, navy, or camel. However, going from light to dark works best. Cost: $12 to $20.

Badly Scuffed or Torn Shoes

The Solution: A shoe repairman can sand and smooth the plastic base of the heel or replace the heel cover. But if there are deep gouges in the leather, you may need new shoes.
Cost: $20 to $30.
Options: If your dog is the culprit, Valenti recommends spritzing your shoes with bitter apple. RS pick: Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray, $5, PetSmart, www.petsmart.com.

Boots That Don't Fit in the Calf

The Solution: Can’t get that zipper all…the…way…up? Your shoe-repair shop can stretch the calf area or add a zipper or an elastic gusset (a triangular insert that allows more stretch up top).
Cost: $15 to stretch the calf area; $35 to add an elastic gusset or a zipper.
Options: Alternatively, if your boots are too big up top, have them taken in. “We take the boot apart, recut it to fit the contour of your leg, then resew it,” says Sorrentino. Cost: $35 and up.

Uncomfortable Pointy-Toes Shoes

The Solution: If your pointiest shoes have become unbearable, your shoe repairman can give them a more comfortable round-toe shape by using a round mold, says Ramuta.
Cost: $35 and up.
Options: You can also go from round to pointy-toed or change your conservative pumps into open-toed shoes. Cost: $35 and up.