Ayers Shoe Repairs enjoying South Dunedin location
AYERS Shoe Repairs has now been at 166 Hillside Rd in South Dunedin for two years. Having moved in 2021 after 66 years in their upper Stuart St premises owner Paul Ayers is enjoying being in South Dunedin, and still offers the same great range of shoe repair services. These include patching, stitching, and stretching footwear, belt and bag repairs, selling quality shoe care products and a large range of laces as well as keycutting.
Ayers Shoe Repairs resoles and reheels, renews zips on used shoes and boots, adds nonslip soles and heels, does waterproofing with spray coatings, and has a special stretching machine for calf-stretching the top of women’s boots.
‘‘We’ve looked after the footwear of generations of families, going back to the great-grandparents of many regular customers today,’’ Paul says.
He took over the running of the business well over 20 years ago, from his late father Richard. Richard Ayers had bought the thriving business in 1974, after the death of his employer, Eric Williams. He had already been in the trade for 33 years — the first 13 years spent at Bill Mattingly’s shoe-repair business in South Dunedin.
E.P. Williams began on Water St in the 1940s, although, when Richard started, it had moved to lower Stuart St. It was next opposite Dunedin Railway Station on Castle St, before relocating to the upper Stuart St site in 1955.
Paul joined Richard at Ayers Shoe Repairs as an apprentice shoe-repairer in 1975, and has remained in the business since. He still maintains nine-hour days at the shop throughout the week, reflecting his pride in and dedication to the craft.
The business is open weekdays from 8am till 5pm. E-bike business Pedals offers local customers a pick-up and drop-off service for a small fee, and out of town customers can send footwear to be repaired and sent back.
Ayers Shoe Repairs offer discounts to holders of the SuperGold card.
AYERS SHOE REPAIRS: Open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. 166 Hillside Rd, South Dunedin. Phone 0210 392 925, email ayersshoerepairs@gmail.com, and see the website at www.ayersshoerepairs.co.nz for more.