Most heavily damaged designer shoes can be restored well right here in Vietnam — far faster and cheaper than sending them back to the brand, with comparable results if you choose the right specialist. Sending to the brand is only truly necessary for official warranty work or proprietary replacement parts.
Official partner Saphir (France) & Santoni (Italy); featured by VTV, VnExpress and Dân Trí.
The full answer
Sending shoes back to the brand is usually costly, takes weeks to months, carries high international shipping fees, and not every brand accepts out-of-warranty repairs. Meanwhile, domestic restoration (cleaning, color restoration, sole gluing/replacement, leather repair) has reached the skill level required for many high-end lines. The global leather repair market is huge (estimated in the billions of USD) precisely because customers choose restoration over disposal — spending 2–5 million VND to save a 20–30 million VND pair makes perfect sense.
Gazano restores heavily damaged designer shoes (color restoration from 1,000,000₫, sole gluing from 800,000₫) — send photos via Zalo for an assessment first. — see service details or chat Zalo.
Why do designer shoe soles turn brittle and crumble when left unworn?
Designer soles crumble in storage because of hydrolysis of PU/EVA: ambient moisture slowly breaks down the polyurethane foam, leaving soles crumbly and cracked even unworn. Paradoxically, soles "resting" in a sealed box degrade faster.
Can patent leather be polished — and how do you care for it?
Patent leather does NOT take polish like regular leather. Just clean the surface and use a touch of wax or a dedicated solution to hold the gloss. If the coating is peeling badly, it needs professional restoration and re-glossing.
Should new shoes get protective soles — cost and which type is best?
Yes — new shoes deserve protective soles, especially valuable pairs with original leather or rubber soles. The guard protects the sole from wear, adds grip and extends the shoes' life without changing the fit. At Gazano it costs from 800,000₫ with imported specialty glue.