Cole Haan Shoe Repairs:

We gladly repair Cole Haan shoes! However, there are a few interesting facts to know about this brand of dress shoe regarding quality, and longevity.  Most importantly, we will discuss what we can do for you to address these issues!

Cole Haan product info:

Cole Haan got it's start as a footwear company way back in 1928, and through the years established themselves as a high quality product.  Most Cole Haan shoes are easily recognized by their short, round toes, and distinctive manufacturing process - sewing the soles through the inside of the upper, with stitches visible through the outside of the sole on the bottom of the shoe.  Most loyal Cole Haan customers like the slimming effect of how the sole is tucked under the front of the shoe, getting rid of the "snow-shoe" effect.

A few years ago, Cole Haan was purchased by another footwear manufacturer.  You can usually tell a Cole Haan shoe that was manufactured before this change by the green label on the inside of the shoe, newer ones manufactured after the buyout usually have a red label.

Differences in red label Cole Haan's and green labels:
(Why is this important to me?)

Green Label Cole Haan's will last you forever, they are very easily repaired with little to no patching each time a sole is replaced.  It is very common to see a green label Cole Haan that has been resoled 5 times or more, and still look very presentable after 10 years or even longer!  Red Label Cole Haan's, however, generally require a little coaxing along to get to this point.  The good news is, it can still be done!

Construction methods are still the same with the new ones, and usually a consumer can not tell the difference in the fit and feel of a new Cole Haan versus an old one.  The uppers are generally still very high in quality, they still bounce back after a shine like nobody's business, leather heel bases can usually be used over and over again as well.  The quality of materials after that though, have changed somewhat, especially regarding the welt.  This is not an enormous problem, but it is something you need to be aware of.  The old Cole Haan shoes had a very flexible rubber welt that lasted a long time, did not crack or fall off.  The new material they are using looks great when you buy it, but begins to crack and fall off after a season or two.  In order to perform a shoe repair on these, it can be a time consuming affair to replace this cracked, unattractive problem.  The good news here is, once it is replaced properly, you can resole and repair this shoe over and over again!

Cole Haan Repair Verdict: (red label, since this is all you can buy new these days)

Pros:  Great looking shoe. High quality upper. Good construction methods.  Still feels like an old Cole-Haan.  Leather soled Cole-Haan's (without the stupid air sole or air-heel) can be resoled over and over again, and will last you a very long time.

Cons:  Cheap welt.  This can be expensive to fix the first time around, and is very unattractive on a dress shoe when it begins to turn brittle and crack, and eventually fall off - leaving you a big space between your sole and the upper of your shoe. 

Bottom Line: Still not a bad purchase, just be willing to make a second investment to keep these shoes on your feet after the first sole replacement.