When our shoes wear down, we don’t just rush to Manolo Blahnik for another precious pair of slingbacks, like Carrie Bradshaw would. Instead, we think about saving some green—and doing the greenest thing—by getting them fixed. And since we’ve scouted out great cobblers in every price range, there’s really no good excuse not to.

Some people have a talent for matching names with faces. Misak Pirinjian matches shoes with faces—he’ll dig yours out of the thousands piled high in his shop based on a mere glimpse of your mug. That skill is one reason he’s practically the mayor of Mill Valley. A stream of chatty customers, many of whom have been coming to Tony’s since Pirinjian’s father relocated his Armenian family from Israel and bought the shop in 1970, fills the cobbler’s days. After closing the shop doors at 5 p.m., he works into the night to fix heels and soles; add holes to too-tight straps; replace missing loafer tassels and elastic buttons; and repair broken luggage straps, handbag handles, and leather coats. (He hand stitches.) Despite the long hours, Pirinjian is full of old-style fun: When a woman brings in a damaged shoe, he remembers having fixed the other and quips, “Aha! It got jealous!” And starting at $8 per heel, he’s reasonably priced for Marin; he says he makes his rent only because of the sheer volume of shoes that walk—or are carried—through his door. It also helps that he never loses a customer: When people relocate, they somehow find a way (including FedEx) to ensure that Pirinjian continues to fix their footwear. 38 Corte Madera Ave., Mill Valley, 415-388-5935

Ask for Gino at Anthony’s. He’s a straight talker, and he won’t touch your shoes unless he’s sure he can bring them up to his standards. This has to be San Fran­cisco’s most organized service: A bar code goes on each sole, and the computer talks to its conveyor system, just like at a modern dry cleaner. But Gino’s technique is old-world enough for your Louboutins and Gravatis. Right across from Union Square, this is one-stop shopping—and you pay for it. Resoling a pair of shoes, for example, can run close to $100, and fixing a single heel costs as much as $25. 30 Geary St., 415-781-1338

Two giant, blackened old Singers stand ready to stitch your shoes at The

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