Tango shoe repair

Sometimes the shoes you love have a rubber sole and you want leather. Sometimes they have suede and you want leather. Most regular shoe repair stores don't know what to do with a nice pair of Comme Il Faut. At last, here are some of the treasured places tangueras/os use in NYC to coax their precious footwear into shape. The only problem you'll have is choosing which amazing shoe repair store to go to!

Rostelle Shoe Repair
The folks at Capezio at 51st street who used to have the most amazing little old shoe repair guy who isn't there anymore, recommended this store. This is where they send all the Broadway dancers. My dance partner Tioma also uses these guys and LOVES them, so I decided to take some shoes over to them too and check them out and they are, indeed, amazing! All the Broadway dancers go there so they know exactly what to do with dancer's shoes.
919 8th Ave. between 54th and 55th streets
212-977-8892

George, the shoe guy I've gone to for many years, is awesome. I've had him put everything on the bottoms of all my shoes, from regular leather to dance suede to non-marking rubber to that other dance shoe stuff that I can't think of the name... anyways. He's awesome. A fellow tanguera friend of mine took a pair of delicate Comme Il Faut to him that had one strap worn through. The shoes were a very particular shade of gold/silver/something-or-another. He made them look like new. I swear he has little magic leprechauns working back there with him. Or he is secretly a little magic leprechaun disguised as a Greek guy.
George's Shoe Repair
875 3rd Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd (the 6, M and E trains stop right there)
(212) 980-4938

This is a juicy one from amazing tanguera, 2008 U.S. tango champion, priestess, psychic, leading pagan author, poet, playwright, and performer Lexa Roséan, www.lexarosean.com (Lexa's main site), www.tigerstango.blogspot.com (Lexa's tango blog):
Dino's Shoe Repair
"Most shoe repair in NY cannot successfully handle a pair of tango shoes.
This is a great place for shoes and they know what they are doing. Old Italian shoe makers. Great for changing in that awful suede on the bottom of your tango shoes for gorgeous soft Italian leather that will give you the pivot you crave. Let the professionals get those scuffs off  your new shoes or best place for a shoe dye job to match your wardrobe. They are the experts!  Ask for Maria."
Dino's Shoe Repair, Inc.
1806 Broadway (59th St)
212-397-4066
www.DinosShoeRepair.com

Tip from a NYC tanguera who is originally from Italy where they take shoes into the realm of religion so you know this has to be great....
"My Italian guy has been re-making my destroyed Comme Il faut. With about 50$ I get them like new. Amazing."
Nick at James' Custom Shoe Repair
1427 Lexington Avenue (between 93rd & 94th)
Tel: 212-722-0041 (Trust me: it's a precious address...)

Here's a tidbit from a NYC tanguera about a guy on the Lower East Side who not only replaced the suede on a few of her dance shoes but also put suede on a pair of pumas. He has also done all the other dance-shoe things like replacing heel caps. It's a tiny shop, closed Friday afternoons and Saturdays, "cheap and good and flexible"
Erik Shoe Repair
353 Grand St. between Ludlow and Essex
212-673-0507

Joe's Shoe Repair in Queens
This one is a special tip from a great NYC tanguero: "The shoe repair guy near my home in Queens is so good, so cheap and so nice"
Joe's Shoe Repair
48th av between 44th and 45th st.
Sunnyside Queens
7 train to 40th st.