.and then there were shoes.

2.21.2010

Whew… getting my shoes was a struggle, without any exaggeration. I first took them to a reputable store, which I’ve heard was expensive, but come on…how expensive can it REALLY be?


Well, here is how my conversation unfolded at store #1:


Me: Hi. I’d like to get this pair of shoes dyed to match this fabric swatch. And can you fix the heel on the inside, they flop off.
Guy at the store: Ok, sure we can dye them. That will be eight each. And the heel, well they will have to rip it apart and reconstruct it.
Me: No thank you. Ok, can you also dye this other pair to match this other fabric swatch?
Guy at the store: Sure, (taps calculator)…. That will be One hundred sixty dollars.
Me: HUH? (Look of shock and fright on my face) I thought that you said, “EIGHT EACH?!?!?”
Guy at the store: No, I said EIGHTY.
Me: Grabs shoe boxes and everything and runs out the door, saying, “no thank you.”


When I was in high school, dyeables were all the rage for proms and homecoming. Taking them to Thom McCann and having them dyed cost all of maybe $12 back in the day?? And now you want to charge me $80? To be honest, that is more than I paid for each pair of shoes.


So I use the Google and find another place. When I show up, to say that I was shocked at the goods for sale in this establishment would be an understatement. On the left side, they sold hookah pipes, in the middle they sold handbags and shoes, in a display case, on the right; they made keys and fixed shoes. When I presented the store owner with my swatches, he was kind enough to test out the colors on some fabric. The green was a no brainer; it was the purple that frightened me. I really wanted something dark for my reception dress…. So I left the green shoes, walked out with the purple shoes for another week.


Long story short, he dyed them both for $40 each and they look great! The colors look amazing and I am thrilled to have this checked off of my list!





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