Dan Brothers Shoes at 1032 S. Charles Street was until recently the last word in shoe repair. But that changed four weeks ago, when Bill Graves, the man with the magic touch, left the shoe store and moved his expertise down the street.
"It's a win-win situation," explains Graves, who says Dan Brothers has freed up its shoe repair area for extra inventory, and Graves, who's now located at 1022 S. Charles Street in Federal Hill, gets his own space to do what he loves. By contract, Dan Brothers will stop shoe repair work entirely and send all its customers to the newly minted Bill Graves Shoe Repair.
Graves will continue to offer the same array of high-quality services, including new soles and heels, shoe dying and covering, orthopedic work, handbag and belt repair, and a leather cleaning service for leather garments. He also offers a wide selection of findings and retail supplies such as polishes, dyes, sprays, oils, laces and cleaners.
Best of all, the shop will replace your heels or soles while you wait. Graves, who brought his two part-time craftsmen with him from Dan Brothers, has created a comfortable reception area in the store and encourages customers to bring their lunch in and eat or watch TV while they wait. Come later in the day, and his daughter will be running the front desk, eager to welcome you.
A native of Baltimore, Graves learned the shoe repair trade at
Carver Vocational Technical High School, where a nine-week courses in shoe repair, automobile repair and carpentry were compulsory. He prides himself on his meticulousness and his state-of-the-art equipment, and says that, with his 45 years of experience, even high-end, designer merchandise is safe in his hands.
Bill Graves Shoe Repair is open Mon.-Thur. from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday-Sat. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.