Footwear isn't just part of your wardrobe, it is an investment. Spend your money wisely and the return will be more value for your money, more comfort, better foot health and even a sense that you are helping the environment.
As with all investing, it is wise to have a counselor to make sure your money is well spent and continues to pay dividends. In the footwear arena, your counselors are the professionals at Backmans Shoeservice AB.
Shoe repair and shoe care make sense for several reasons. First, shoe repair adds value to your footwear investment.
Quality, well-maintained men's shoes can be resoled seven to 10 times at a fraction of the cost of new shoes. With new soles and heels, and reconditioned uppers, the shoes will look like new, yet retain that broken-in, comfortable feel. It is not uncommon for a man to get 30 years out of a good pair of shoes. Quality women's shoes can be resoled three to five times.
Shoe repair can also alleviate a variety of physical problems. Worn heels will change your gait. When you are not walking properly, your feet, ankles, knees, hips and back can all suffer.
Improper fit causes calluses, corns and bunions. Backmans offers stretching services and fitting aids to alleviate those problems. Typically, we can stretch a shoe 1/2 to a full size in width. We can also add more space for toes or raise an instep. We can even stretch the calves on boots. If your shoes are too loose, you can pick up heel grips, tongue pads and insoles to create a better fit.
Another reason to have a shoe repair and shoe care routine is your appearance. Do you want to get ahead in the workplace? A nationwide survey showed that 89 percent of business recruiters rate good grooming as very important to becoming a senior executive. The most common mistake for men, and the second most common for women, is unkempt shoes.
On a personal level, two out of three young female professionals say unkempt shoes suggest negative characteristics about men in social situations. Half of the men fell the same about women with sloppy footwear. The most frequent negative character traits suggested were sloppiness, indifference to good grooming and to detail in general, and carelessness.
Shoes are a reflection of their owner's personality. That's what both personnel professionals -- who have been known to observe people closely -- and white collar workers (the people they usually observe) said. Well kept shoes stand for professionalism, attention to detail, ambition, efficiency, conscientiousness, organization, confidence and even friendliness.
Finally, shoe repair is among the oldest forms of recycling. Each year, the shoe repair industry keeps some 62 million pairs of shoes out of landfills and on consumers' feet. So next time you invest in footwear, get some advice from Backmans Shoeservice AB.