STAFF PICK: You'll know you're in the right place by the speakers over the door, playing music for the street. Pete's sells other stuff like cowboy hats, plaster yard coyotes and scratchy pink party dresses in tiny sizes, but shoe repair is the main event. He can put new heels on your stilettos in less than a day, or completely resole your favorite cowboy boots with a little more time. The workmanship on these more complex jobs is the best we've seen in 30 years of having our boots repaired in three different states. Pete's a true artisan.
LOOSE CHANGE: Pat's at 5325 S. 12th Ave. is a little bit of a schlep since Pat left downtown; for years he was across the street from the Superior Court building. Then Pat went south in the Walgreen's shopping center at 12th and Ajo. Bad luck hit when a fire at the neighboring laundromat burned him out. But now he's back with rapid repairs to heels and the best heel-and-sole replacement in town. He'll save your Ballys for years.