Small Business

Where Celebrities Go to Fix Their £5,000 Sneakers

At Shoe Lab in the UK, demand is biggest to repair Louboutin heels.

Andreia Pacheco repaints the sole on a shoe at Shoe Lab in Boston, UK.Photographer: Ian Hodgson/Bloomberg

A small shoe repair shop in the east of England has become a favorite among British celebrities and sports stars who need their fancy sneakers, heels, and flats repaired.

Boston, Lincolnshire-based Shoe Lab started in January 2020 as a local cobbler that cleaned Adidas Gazelles for £10 ($12). Now it’s a UK-wide service that fixes up hundreds of pairs of Gucci, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton shoes every week.