LOCAL Houston | The City Guide November 2017 | Page 59

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
SAVING SOLES
THE MIRACULOUS WORK OF HOUSTON’S SHOE SAVERS
There are few things in the fashion world more coveted than a great pair of shoes. The right pair can make you feel like a million bucks, and
thanks to the likes of Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent and Jimmy Choo, they can cost a pretty penny as well. So, what’s a girl (or guy for
that matter, as great shoes know no gender) to do to make sure their shoes live a long and happy life and nurse them back into health when they
need it? Well, thanks to husband-and-wife team Barry and Ellen Croft, your soles are in great hands over at Shoe Savers on Bissonnet. Married
and in business together for over 30 years, this duo takes the business of shoes very seriously. What started out as a few shops, got honed into
focusing all their energy on their flagship location in the Village, applying the philosophy of “doing the best you can every day and doing it right
the first time” into every shoe.
Barry is the first to admit he is not easy to work with; he has, in fact, sometimes even turned shoes away that have been worked on improperly by
others. However, he has fine-tuned his craft and meticulous attention to detail into a reputation that precedes him, by winning so many times at the
Shoe Service Institute of America that he is working his way into being the Meryl Streep of the shoe service industry. Behind, or in this case right
beside, every good man