Recraft worn out clothes & more

If your stuff is showing signs of wear and tear, but you can't bear to throw it out, you may not have to. Especially when it comes to things you've spent a lot of money on. For example, high end shoes or a purse.

These are John Calvert's favorite pair of shoes. They look shiny and new now, but just a few months ago they were worn and scuffed up.   

"My wife said, 'you know honey when you kneel down in church the people in the pew behind you can see that your shoes have worn through.'" 

When John went to the store to buy a new pair, he told the clerk he was bummed to part with his 10 year old dress shoes. That's when he found out about  "recrafting".

John told us, "I said, 'recrafting'? I don't even know what that word is.' 

All John had to do was go online, fill out this shipping label and mail his shoes back to Allen Edmonds' factory where workers "recraft" or rebuild shoes from the inside out. New footbeds, soles and heels. And the number of national retailers offering "fix it" services is increasing.
 
"This is a way to keep them in the brand, keep them loyal, and not potentially lose them to another brand if they go out and look for a replacement product," according to Mark Johnson with the Loyalty Marketers Association. 

True Religion will fix "wear and tear" on its jeans for free. Customers just have to pay for shipping. If something from Brooks Brothers needs fixing, just bring the item to a store. Costs depend on the nature of the repair.  Kate Spade has an official "go to" repair shop for its bags and shoes. Just mail in the item and you'll get a quote for the touch up. Allen Edmonds' standard recrafting package is one hundred and twenty five dollars ($125). With a couple touch up's some shoes end up "lasting" 40 years.

"They've been through maybe several generations of weddings and graduations, you know so guys really do get a sense of pride when these shoes come back looking like new especially when they've been worn for decades," Jim Kass with Allen Edmonds said.

And some retailers offer recrafting as a way to go green. 

"It is very hip for brands to be focused on the reduce, reuse and recycle mantra," Johnson said.

Reduce, reuse and resole is LL Bean's mantra. The company offers repairs for its popular "bean boots."  And patagonia recently launched a national campaign saying "if it's broke, fix it."  It offers recrafting and even a guide for "do it yourself repairs" to encourage customers to make their clothes last a lifetime.

John son said, "Brands are looking for unique ways to create engagement with their customers and this is a very compelling way to do so."

Experts say if you have something you love that could use a little t-l-c, call or stop into the store and see if they offer recrafting or repair options.