When seeking a sensational shoe repair shop, look straightaway to Potter & Sons Shoe Artisans. Owners and brothers Trent and Heath perform quality repairs and offer finely crafted sandals and flip-flops. They work tediously on each repair to ensure best results. For five years, they've fitted Brentwood residents with handsome, high-quality footwear repairs guaranteed to last for years, even generations.
Brentwood Lifestyle recently asked the brothers about their personalized shoe re-crafting, and Trent summarized:
How did you get into the shoe repair business?
We both graduated from UT-Knoxville, so being in the shoe business isn’t what we set out to do. Heath was a teacher for metro Nashville schools, and I was in the corporate healthcare field.
As a side hobby, Heath learned how to make bespoke shoes, and as a side gig, I started a pick-up/delivery shoeshine service for businesses around Nashville. One day, the owner of what used to be Brentwood Shoe & Luggage Repair told me he was retiring and asked if we were interested in buying the business. With 30 years of built-up clientele coming with the acquisition, we decided to make the leap.
What shoes are best for re-soling?
Shoes that are solely glued together, (sneakers, shoes using cheaper materials), generally cannot be resoled. Most leather-soled shoes/boots and high heels with leather bottoms can be re-soled. Most shoes at the $200-plus price point are generally made to be re-soled over and over.
In which repairs do you specialize?
Unlike many shoe repair shops, which take in luggage, bags and anything leather-related, we don’t. We put all our focus on recrafting shoes and being the best at it. We now have customers all over the country mailing shoes to us. Higher-quality shoe brands are our favorites and our specialty!
How long do typical shoe soles last?
It depends on what type of sole leather/rubber was used and how often you wear that pair of shoes. We offer customers varying grades of sole leathers from different parts of the world. Some of the best, most durable sole leathers come from Germany, which we carry, of course.
Please describe your repair process.
The one thing you’ll always receive from us is honesty with recommendations. We’ve built our dependable reputation on only selling folks what they need and by doing amazing work. Repairs can take anywhere from five to 14 days; shoe shines are usually ready in a day or two.
What type of repair is not a good fit for Potter & Sons?
We steer away from repairs that need customization (putting in new zippers, orthotic buildups, resizing shoes). We keep things simple: resoles, heels, high heel tips and shoe/boot shines.
Who's your typical customer?
We get customers from all walks of like, but the discerning customer who wants only the best for their shoes comes to us. Potter & Sons stands out because we specialize in refurbishing high-end shoes, from Allen Edmonds and John Lobb to Santoni and Manolo Blahnik. We’re also the only store in Tennessee that carries the French brand Saphir, arguably the world’s highest-quality shoe polishes and shoe care products.
What tips do you have for keeping shoes looking their best?
Always put cedar shoe trees in your shoes after they’ve been worn, regularly condition and polish your shoes (not with wax), and periodically check the bottoms for wear.
What shoe products do you recommend?
Everyone needs cedar shoe trees for each pair of shoes. They absorb the sweat from your shoes and help maintain the shapes. The leather on your shoes and high heels dries out, becomes scuffed up and discolored; conditioners and colored shoe creams keep shoes soft and looking brand-new.
What future plans for Potter & Sons can you share?
We're currently talking with a large online shoe brand based in New York City that may use us for their new customer refurbishment program. Also, our YouTube channel, “Trenton & Heath,” continues to grow. We just started it in April, and we already have shoe companies wanting us to review their shoe brands. Also, we’ve been tossing around the idea of creating our own line of men’s shoes, which seems like a good fit with the sandal company we own.