I'm a Cobbler

If you live in an urban area where you do a lot of walking, chances are you are aware of the damage concrete can  cause to your shoes. I don't think there is a good way around this, besides finding a good cobbler and visiting him regularly.
Moving from Chicago to Ann Arbor has been amazing for my shoe collection, but I still have a few pairs of shoes that are in need of repair (yes, almost 2 years later). I used to spend a not insignificant amount of money have my shoes repaired at the cobbler up the street. The Cobbler, Mr. T, was amazing- relatively inexpensive, quick, and also entertaining. Mr. T was about 80 years old and liked to talk.
Sadly, Mr T would not come with me to Ann Arbor, and the cobblers here are quite a bit more expensive. So I've been exploring other options--mainly, replacing shoes. But recently I discovered these little gems:

That's right friends. Three pairs each of heel tips in two different sizes (six pairs total) for less than $3. Even Mr. T can't beat that price.

The process is pretty easy. Start with a shoe with sad, worn down heels:

Use the pliers pictured above to twist out the tip (just like a screw!). Insert a new heel tip, and tap it in using the hammer. And you're done!

Voila! Now these shoes are back in circulation! It took about five minutes, and I still have five pairs of tips left. Maybe Mr. T needs an assistant.

It wasn't such a hard project but Ellie was sure tired after.